I am a Canadian woman who loves to travel. While I have had many incredible trips with friends and family, I have also stepped out of my comfort zone and gone solo a few times over the past 25 years. My independent journeys have taught me many things about myself and others, and I have been emboldened by the unexpected discoveries and new friendships made.
Stepping out for the first time
The first time I traveled solo was in the late nineties. I was five years into my advertising career in Toronto, working alongside colleagues who remain some of my closest friends to this day. I had received some money that was quickly diminishing, funding my city life on an entry-level salary, and decided I needed to do something memorable with it. So, I resigned from my job to backpack for six months on my own. Europe had been calling for years, and it was now or never.
Memories from that experience never fade. I have photos of every place I visited, 10 countries and over 60 cities, including 21 in France, plus ticket stubs and museum postcards of favourite paintings. I have journals in storage, which I’m so grateful for, and novels that I exchanged with fellow travelers, a beautiful tradition that I hope still exists.
It didn’t even occur to me to ask a friend to join at the time, as we were all working full-time by then or starting to get married. I knew I would love Europe and never worried about being alone. As an art history graduate, I had dreamt of seeing the art I had studied and just wanted to finally see how Europeans live. It was easy to meet other adventurers back then, and friendships were forged quickly.
I recall meeting a few travelers one morning in the French Riviera, and by the evening, we were all skinny dipping in the sea.
Solo travel can often get you outside of your comfort zone, in the best ways.
You also learn to trust yourself and learn what you’re made of. When I realized I was on a train to Geneva instead of Genoa, I figured out how to de-train and re-route. When I joined a group of Australians at a villa in the Amalfi Coast and it started to feel like we weren’t supposed to be there, I moved on. Instinct kicks in and you trust it. Other memorable highlights in France and nearby were the beautiful medieval city of Carcassonne, the artistic vibe of Avignon and Arles, and stunning Monaco awash in pink against the sea.
I began and ended my six-month trip in Paris and immediately, it felt like home. The language came easily, and the culture suited my sensibility. The strolls, the cafés, the Sancerre—Paris was my place. The Musée d’Orsay was a revelation, with more recognizable masterpieces than the iconic Louvre Museum.
When I look at photos spanning my half year abroad, I look like a different person by the end. The backpacker look is replaced with Italian sweaters and silk scarves, aiming to emulate the chic ladies of Rome. My hair was the best shade of blonde it’s ever been, courtesy of a cut and color in Venice with not a word of common language between stylist and client.
I’m so grateful to have explored Europe for the first time on my own. There were so many experiences that will forever be mine, from memorable meals to celeb-sightings, romances, and quiet pinch-me moments surrounded by beauty.
A solo leap to Amsterdam
In 2006, I relocated from the Toronto office of a global advertising agency to their Amsterdam office for a two-year contract, knowing no one at the other end. Friends and family thought it was both brave and crazy, but I thought it was exciting.
Navigating a foreign country, finding a place to live, and pushing yourself to meet people, these things may be intimidating to some but are so beneficial for personal growth and independence.
I was lucky to join a team of fellow expats who were all in the same situation, and I also quickly discovered the larger expat population, as many corporate head offices reside there. These aspects helped to acclimate, but I also put myself out there more than I ever would have at home. At a questionable expat speed-dating mixer, I met an American who was also on her way out the door. We nixed the mixer, shared a bottle of wine and remain friends to this day.
Another perk of Amsterdam was its central location in Europe. I had a friend living in London at the time, and we would meet up for weekend excursions. Once it was Venice, another time it was Berlin, and several times in Paris. While visiting her in London one weekend, we took the TGV to Paris for a birthday lunch at Plaza Athénée and couldn’t believe the glamorous life we were living.
I’ve stayed in touch with all my ex-colleagues from that time, the locals and the fellow expats across the US, UK and Greece. We’d all been a part of an incredible award-winning campaign produced across Shanghai, New York and Paris, and knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience never to be topped again in our careers. Taking that leap to move abroad was one of the best things I ever did.
The magnetism of France when flying solo
In 2023, I spent a month in a small village about 45 minutes south of Paris. I booked an Airbnb for myself and my dog, Pierre, plus a guest room for a friend who would be joining for the last week. I had been back to Paris with friends in 2012, and in 2017 for a special trip with my niece, followed five years later by two weeks in Provence in the lovely town of Lacoste. This time, however, I would be going to France on my own, tapping back into the younger me who had done this years prior. This was also an experiment to see if I could start to spend a month or two in a different region of France every year, dog in tow, while working remotely.
I spent a lot of time researching rentals, reading all the reviews and asking questions to ensure the place would be comfortable for a month, have an accessible yard for the dog, and feel safe. I lucked out with a private apartment attached to the home of a lovely British/French couple, and we spent many evenings on the rooftop having wine and cheese. To my delight, I was invited on their boat for a river cruise and to brunch a few times, something that may not have happened if I’d been with others. It was a great way to see how locals live, and to make lasting French friends.
One of the best things about solo travel is that you must figure everything out yourself.
There’s no one to navigate as you drive, to help translate at the supermarché, to work out the French appliances, and it makes you feel alive!
Every day, I was learning something new or improving. The day I finally drove to the neighboring villages without the GPS? Priceless. When I ordered my dessert seamlessly at the boulangerie without the disapproving look from the owner? A good day. The more I immersed myself, the more I fit in. When you start getting asked for directions, you’ve succeeded. By the time my friend joined me for the last week, I was an expert, confidently touring her around like I’d lived there for years.
That month on my own confirmed how much I love travel, and how much I love France. I returned happier, healthier and primed to plan the next voyage.
