Travel Alone & Love It!

"I've always relied on the kindness of strangers."
Blanche DuBois, in a Street Car Named Desire

Single, divorced, or widowed, people have a myriad of reasons to travel solo. Sharon Wingler, author of Travel Alone & Love It: A Flight Attendant's Guide to Solo Travel, found herself divorced at 35 and missing her twice yearly vacations with hubby. Following her change in marital status, Wingler wasn't about to sacrifice her annual getaways, so she took the leap and toured Italy on her own. Not only did Wingler enjoy her solo trip, she found a number of benefits to an independent journey not experienced by any other type of travel.

"Solo travel puts a human face on the world," reflects Wingler. "You have more one-on-one interaction with people. You meet lots of locals, even other travelers, who extend invitations and courtesies. There's a natural tendency, worldwide, for people to take the solo traveler under their wing. Guides and helpers are always there when you need them."

For over 15 years, Winger has travelled solo including vacations in Argentina, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, France, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Greece, Malaysia, Singapore, Yugoslavia, and extensively in the USA, her home country. When not exploring far off lands, Wingler works as a flight attendant with a major airline.

From her experiences, both as solo traveler and a flight attendant, Wingler decided to write the book Travel Alone & Love It, to encourage others to forge out on their own. The book, guest lectures, and classes on solo travel have been met with rave reviews.

Travel Alone & Love It: A Flight Attendant's Guide To Solo Travel is a wonderful read. Densely packed with useful information, chapters cover: reasons for solo travel, where to go on your trip, what and how to pack, jet lag, and what to expect once you get to your destination.

What makes this book a must have read, is the down-to-earth advice Wingler offers. For example, a very practical chapter on flying provides little nuggets of wisdom to make for a more enjoyable flight and who would know better than someone who makes her living in the air. I really like this tip: "Dress comfortably. Knits are perfect because they feel like pajamas but never look like you've slept in them."

In the chapter on accommodation, Wingler suggests exploring the area from a home base. "I do not like changing hotels every night," explains Wingler. "I'd much rather base myself in one place, taking side trips, and getting to know the area I'm in. That way, ...my hotel staff feels like family and I get a good sense of the location and the people."

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