I took my first solo vacation trip ever

It may sound terrifying, but I found it to be liberating!

I just got back from my first solo vacation trip, and I have to say, it was amazing! I’ve done a fair amount of travel in my life, but most times, it’s been to visit family or work. This was the first time I traveled alone purely for leisure, which was so therapeutic. I came back home with a focus and a spirit of peace.

The idea, the vision, the manifestation

This trip blossomed into reality from an idea planted by my son. He suggested I take a solo trip after my last job ended and before I began at the next company. Once he told it, I added it to my vision board. Every day, when I looked at my board, I took concrete steps: book hotels, flights, and tours. Over the last two months, I concentrated on starting the solo trip, leading to its manifestation.

Destination: Toronto!

Deciding where to go came in an instant. I met the owner of a boutique hotel on a family visit to Trinidad and followed their Instagram account. When I saw them hosting lovely yoga classes on their roof, I checked out their one-of-a-kind rooms and booked Ode to Toronto. A Black family owns the hotel in a lively area called Little Portugal. It has access to the Street Cars (to go everywhere), and I found the neighborhood walkable to shops, lots of food options, and even downtown. I stayed in the Unbounded suite, which had no view but let me relax (sometimes unclothed) with open windows — it felt as if I were free to be. The suite was well-appointed, beautiful, and comfortable. This hotel was a great place to come home to while I was away.

Opening the door to new experiences

I walked everywhere, every day. In the morning on my first day, I used Google Maps to locate seven parks around the hotel. In the afternoon, I went onboard Kajama, a historic schooner, and sailed up and down Lake Ontario. The memorable cuisine of the day was a dinner of Caribbean food and rum punch at Chadon Beni. The next day, I joined a movement started by Colin O’Brady: the 12-hour walk. While exploring different city areas, I focused on discerning my next best steps and self, remaining open to see what answers came. As part of the walking day, I took a tour of downtown Toronto and learned much about the city’s past, present and future! On that tour, Dave led us through the PATH — although I had visited Toronto before, I did not know this underground metropolis existed. The best gastro-experience of my second day was lunch at Aanch, an Indian restaurant in the heart of Toronto. On my last full day, I walked around Kensington Market on tour with Felicia of Chopsticks and Forks. That was one of the best days because I got to know everyone in the small group in-depth, and we had so much fun! We also ate our way through Toronto’s exceptional international cuisine. By the end of the trip, I had made some great new friends and experienced the beauty, artistry and vibrance of this lovely city.

Disconnecting to reconnect

One of the most memorable parts about this trip was that it allowed me to disconnect from everything and tune in to myself. I limited the use of my phone, swore off social media, and only checked email on travel days. Detaching from the usual day-to-day felt fantastic. In today’s world, family, friends, work, and so many others bombard us with notifications, emails, calls, etc., which can be overwhelming. This trip allowed me to reset and recharge my batteries to show up as my best self when I returned home.

This trip was exactly what I needed. I’m feeling refreshed, inspired, and excited about what’s coming next in my life. If you’re considering a solo trip, I recommend it! It’s an excellent opportunity to get to know yourself better and reset your mind.

© 2022 K. Joseph. All rights reserved

I would love it if you comment on this article, follow me and subscribe for more joyful (and other) tidbits.