They forced me to enter my first solo trip when my friend left me alone in Paris. I was terrified, but it was the best.

• For a long time, I was terrified by the idea of ​​being alone in a foreign country.

• However, they threw me First solo trip When a friend left me unexpectedly in France.

• Explore France just gave me more confidence and it was excited to plan future solo trips.

In my 20 years, I traveled with friends from all over the world, from Oktoberfest in Germany to the Beduine tents in Israel. Now that I am 33 years old and most of my friends are married (some with children), I found myself reserving less flights.

Then, last year, when I scored two tickets to see Taylor Swift Eras Tour In France, I hoped to be able to convince someone to be with me. Going only passed me briefly, but solo trips felt out of my comfort zone, and I worried that I did not have so much fun that way.

So, I ended up reserving a One week travel to Paris And Lyon with a friend of the work he had met since almost a decade.

At that time, I was happy not to have to go alone. Looking back, I had wrong priorities.

The truth is that not all friends work well together as travel colleagues

Before the trip, my friend and I struggled to get on the same page to choose hotels and accept an itinerary.

Our problems continued while we went to Paris. While complaining about our flight, I felt exhausted because of his negativity. When we arrived, I marveled at an rainbow on the Seine River, since it seemed to be responding to electronic work emails on your phone.

The tensions felt high, and I worried that we were not very compatible travel partners, but I thought we would both feel better for day two and ready to continue exploring.

Instead, that was the last day we spent together on the trip. The next morning, he sent me a text message to go for the day without her.

I took a walk on foot from the Eiffel Tower to the Palais-Royal. I should have been excited to cross out the elements of the desire list, but instead, something felt.

Later, he let me know that I would fly home to New York City, unexpectedly continuing to continue the trip alone.

Although I was afraid of being alone in a foreign country, I hugged him

For a long time, the idea of ​​being alone in a foreign country (especially one in which I do not speak the language) made me feel anxious and scared.

However, instead of feeling completely Terrified when he left, I felt relieved. The tension was gone, and I didn’t have to worry about another person.

Determined not to let my experience leave, I changed our original itinerary to be completely in my own terms with excursions that I wanted to do the most.

As an outgoing that it is energized by others, I worried not to have fun in Paris alone. However, I realized that I didn’t need to share an experience to value it. It was impossible not to enjoy visiting places that I had dreamed of seeing for years.

I continued from Paris to Lyon and even went to see the time tour alone. While sailing for public transport and the streets of the city on my own, I felt strong, sure and, as if I could really do anything.

This experience gave me more confidence to face the world alone

As a result, being abandoned in a foreign country can be the best thing that could have happened to me.

Pushed suddenly solo trip He showed me that I am able to something that was originally afraid of trying. This realization has allowed me to travel more without waiting for anyone else.

In addition, I have come to appreciate how Travel alone It means establishing their own schedule and making their own decisions without having to meet the needs of any other person.

I hope to travel to Europe only this year, and I am even considering reserving a longer stay.

As for this trip? My only repentance is not to reserve it alone in the first place.

Read the original article in Business intern