Travelling Alone

As one grows older, one's social circle seems to be shrinking, especially for singles like me. Much as I hate to say, but it is inevitable that you will start to grow apart from married and attached friends. Being married, they need to devote more time to their family to adapt to the new family life. The remaining time has to be spent with their parents and in-laws. While attached friends may need to spend time with their better halfs or in preparation of the impending wedding.

Recently, I am experiencing slight burnt-out from the hectic budget exercise and long for a escapade to a foreign land where the different sights and sounds will offer a haven for recharging. Yet, when I turn around to see who, among my friends, can accompany me for this vacation, there seems to very few people I can approach. For the few I approach, they are currently either not planning on any vacation or are planning vacation to destinations which I am not keen. Hence, the notion of travelling alone starts to take root in my mind.

Driven by a sudden sense of adventures, I am almost certain that I will be able to achieve alone. However, when I articulate this plan to both family and friends, many start to dissuade me. The initial excitement soon turns to infuriation for their lack of support. When the emotion cools down, I have to admit their concerns are touching and not unfounded. Indeed, travelling alone in a foreign land can be lonely and even dangerous.

Putting the vacation plans aside, the sense of loss associated with my shrinking circle of friends still leads to a cloud of gloom that cannot be waved off. Indeed, for some of my closest friends, I have not seen them after their marriage or even for months. Nowadays, meeting with these young couples or parents are difficult. I need to find a slot among their schedules of visiting parents, in-laws, household chores and other friends. I am not sure if it is transitional or it is a permanent difference drawn from the different experiences, but the topics of our conversation seem to run on parallel and mutually exclusive planes. I cannot offer any advice or inputs to the issues that they face; while the problems I encounter seem too work-related.

Despite the bleak prospect of finding anyone to go on a vacation with me for the next couple of months, I still hope I can find companions to go on vacations with. After all, a vacation with friends add more excitement and happiness to the trip when there is someone to share the beautiful scene with.