It all began with a promise to myself several years ago that I would go on an overseas trip alone by the time I reached the age of 50. At 491/2, I was running out of time. Not really knowing where to look, I browsed around Meetup.com, searching for international travel groups. Et voila! The Philadelphia International Adventure Travel Club. I joined immediately.
The group’s focus is to organize international travel experiences for those with a taste for adventure. The group has trips throughout the year to places all over the world. The trip that worked best for me was to Morocco – “Morocco: Classic Group Trip.”
Up until last year, I had traveled with my boyfriend. He is now my ex. He handled every detail and all I had to do was write a check and say encouraging things like “sounds bloody awesome!” He is English. I was spoiled and fine with that. Some of the best times we had together were on foreign soil. If there was a TV available to watch a scheduled Liverpool game, so much the better. When the relationship headed south, and the desire to be his traveling companion was extinguished, my desire to travel was not.
“Keep calm and carry on” was my mantra.
I was now the one obsessed with every detail – the three flights to get to Marrakech, figuring out the exchange rate, buying a hat that was both functional and fashionable, buying every kind of medicine that I might need if my digestive tract acted up.
Finally, the day came when I drove myself to Philadelphia International Airport and got onto the flight to Zurich, then Lyon, then Marrakech. Twenty-three hours later, I settled into my hotel room, drank a Red Bull, and headed for the hotel lobby to meet the group for orientation.
The moment of truth had arrived – who were the people that I would spend the next seven days with? Would they all be couples and look at me with pity before halfheartedly extending an invitation to sit with them at dinner? No. They were mostly single women travelers, and over the course of the next seven days we became good friends and shared some very funny experiences. I am happy to say none of us caused an “international incident.”
I had done it – traveled to an exotic location alone, and met a fantastic bunch of free-spirited women. We may try to do another trip together, this time to Turkey.
And Morocco? Lovely.
