My Solo Vacation-Kayak Adventure

Traveling is important to me, I decided very soon after my decision to divorce; that I needed to go on a solo trip as part of my healing process. I needed to prove to myself that I didn’t need to go with friends or family to have a great vacation. I could have fun all on my own, because – let’s be honest, I am a very fun person! This is not to say that I intend to become a loner and want to lead a life of a lone wolf. No…I am a very social person. But I wanted to prove to myself that I could travel on my own and have a fantastic time. I am so glad that I made the decision to do this. I do think it is a very therapeutic thing to do. Learning to have fun on your own- and actually discovering there are some serious advantages to Solo traveling.

I decided to make my 1st solo adventure on a Kayaking Trip in British Columbia. I went with North Island Kayak. They were an amazing company I would highly recomend them to anyone. We departed from Telegraph Cove a cute little fishing village on Northern Vancouver Island. It was a 3 day two night trip. Perfect for my 1st overnight Kayaking Trip. Next time I would like to do a longer one. They had their own private camping areas set up- so it was like you had your own private Island. So you could enjoy the beauty of Canada with only the group of people in your Kayaking Trip. On my trip (because it was the beginning of the season) It was a small group: it was just myself, an Australian Family and our amazing Guide Brad. So we could truly enjoy the nature and the beauty of Canada. Also Brad cooked us amazing healthy food! Definitely the way to camp! I could relax and enjoy myself without all the work of camping! This must be what it would be like to camp if I was royalty…I could get used to it.

I was coming from my Dragon Boat Race in Vancouver B.C. Which was of course fun! So I started my solo adventure by exploring Stanley Park on the way to Ferry To Nanaimo. Well…A little word of advice get to the Ferry early. I made a slight wrong turn which made me get to the Ferry in what should have been barely enough time to get on. But it was full- and I did not get on. In fact, I barely made it on the next ferry. But this turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It made me realize one of the absolutely best things about traveling on your own! There is absolutely no one to yell at you when you make a mistake! Instead of having my mistake ruin my day and leave a black mark on the trip-it turned into a really good memory. I enjoyed exploring Horseshoe Bay. On the Ferry I was able to meet some really nice people. I find that people are more likely to talk to you when you are on your own. Or maybe it’s that I am more likely to talk to people when I am on my own. This is probably the case-but regardless, I enjoyed meeting the elderly guy from Vancouver Island, and The British couple I met who were traveling From Toronto to Victoria. But there was a nice balance of solitude as well. I enjoyed sitting outside enjoying the beautiful scenery and just being in the moment.

Once I got to Vancouver Island I began my drive up to Telegraph Cove. As I was leaving Nanaimo there was this huge Billboard that said “Entering Stress Free Zone.” I figured this was a good sign that I had picked the right spot for my adventure. And they were right-it really was a stress free zone. For those of you who know me- this is something that I could really do with. I lead a very stressful life-my divorce is only the tip of the iceberg. It was a beautiful forested drive up to telegraph cove. But there is not much in between. So make sure you have a full tank of gas. I barely made it to the gas station on the way back. This was perhaps the only moment that was stressful on the trip.

Kayaking was fantastic! I loved getting to spend 3 days on the water all day. I was surprised at how calm the water was in Johnstone Straight. We saw: Humback Whales, Seals, Dolphins, Porpoises Octopus, Sea Lions, Deer, squirrels, Jelly Fish, Sea Stars, Sea Cucumber, sea anemone. It was such a great way to observe the wildlife and the beauty of British Columbia. If you go in peak season you would see Orca’s but I was happy with my adventure. I forgot sun screen-my face did get a little sunburned. Small price to pay for such a great trip! On my way home from Telegraph Cove I stayed the night in a Bed and Breakfast in Nanaimo. It was on the top of the hill overlooking the bay. It was a wonderful location. But- I am not sure that I would recommend a solo traveler staying there. I arrive and I go to the door to check in and the very nice gentleman answers the door and he says- You are on your own? I said “Yup! Just Me!” He went on for about 5 minutes about how weird it was that I was traveling on my own. By the end I felt like saying- Well…I recently got divorced and I had no one to travel with. But first of all that was not true-I didn’t try to find someone to go with me; because I wanted to experience my trip on my own. Plus I am not upset about my divorce and there was no point in making him feel bad. But they had a wonderful bathtub and shower-which was perfect after a few days of camping!

The next day I headed to Victoria to take the Ferry to Port Angeles- and then home. When I was driving past Duncan, BC. There was a sign that said City of Totem Poles. Well…I swiftly turned my car off the highway to check out the totem poles. It was such a fun little detour. They had a walking tour of the totem poles with a description of what they meant. It was a perfect stop. Another fantastic example of how traveling on your own- you can make split second decisions. There is no long debate- should we stop. There is just the idea and then the action. If I had been traveling with anyone I would have missed the turn and probably not gone back to explore. I loved that I was able to be open to the possibilities and discover new places that I didn’t even know existed. I could also go at my own pace. I could stay as long or as little as I wanted. This little stop was definitely well worth the visit.I had quick pot of tea and scone at Murchie’s Tea house in Victoria. This is my favorite place in Victoria. I absolutely must go there every visit and ideally everyday at least once. I would have liked to have had more time in Victoria- but this trip. I was just passing through. But as I drank my tea I contemplated my journey. My life has changed so much in the past few years. Not much is the same. But I am embracing this time of transition to recreate myself into the person I want to be. I am living my life fully and completely and with no regrets. It can be tiring at times doing all that I want to do. There SO many opportunities and only one of me…But I am truly happy and I can’t wait for my next adventure! Traveling on my own was amazing. I think I will do a combination of solo trips and taking trips with friends or family. I feel so lucky to have had this amazing adventure!

I will be posting again soon- I have been so busy living and trying new things that I have not taken the time to post them. I am hoping to get caught up with them soon!