Script for a Solo Trip

Relative Hurdles

First, I had to overcome comments from relatives. I remember announcing my maiden solo trip to Paris to my mother. “Now exactly where are you going all by yourself,” she asked.  “All by yourself” was a loaded phrase. It meant, “Why are you throwing away all the time and money your father and I invested in you to be killed or kidnapped in a foreign country?” 

I should have done my what-reaction-were-you-looking-for speech. After all, a city like Baltimore where I live offers hundreds of opportunities to be killed or kidnapped.  I mean was Mom saying perishing in Paris is worse than perishing in Baltimore? The outcome is the same; I’m playing the harp at the Pearly Gates.

But rather than go there, I took a deep breath and looked at things from my mother’s point of view. Mom was expressing real fears. Things like language barriers, lost luggage, criminal activity, and getting sick are just a few concerns. Add me being an older woman of color, which counts as three infractions in the United States, and concerns multiply. 

Additionally, I think Mom, like many people, had trouble imagining traveling on her own. That can be a scary idea. Who helps you when something goes wrong and with whom do you share the memories? Moreover, the travel industry doesn’t exactly encourage solo travel by charging single supplements. So, I took things in stride and came up with a plan. I wrote a script for a solo trip.