Traveling solo
This summer I did a bit of traveling on my own. I thought I share with you why I like traveling solo and why I don’t get lonely. In this post, I tell you a bit about Positano, the first place I visited.
I decided to treat myself to a few days by the sea on the Amalfi coast to get over my jet lag… I had all the intention to just vegetate on a beach chair, swim a little, sunbathe a lot, and eat wonderful food. But fate had different plans for me.
I stayed in the Florida Residence. A little away from the town so that is quiet but close enough to the beach and the center of the town. The place is humble but the view and the people that own it make up for it big time. They indulge me in my desire to learn some italian and quickly help with any request.
After a super yummy lunch of fresh local food at Ristorante Saraceno D’oro and a quick tour of the town and spiaggia Grande, I came back to the hotel and sat at the balcony. Later I met my neighbors a couple from New Zealand and two sisters from Argentina. They changed my plans completely for the better.
The first morning I stucked to my plan and went to Spiagga Fornillo despite the rain-looking clouds. It did rain a little bit but I was in a bathing suit so no problem getting a little wet and in just a while the sun came out. Settled on my comfy beach chair, I heard a conversation in Spanish. It turned out that the couple seating behind me were from Colombia and Venezuela. We had a great chat and a few laughs together. In the afternoon, my new friends told me about their adventures hiking the path of the Gods and encourage me to do something other just lounging at the beach.
I ended up walking on the path of the Gods. I really did not want to hike for hours so I took a bus to Nocelle and just hike for a couple of km. On my way into the town, I saw a man picking oranges, he smiled and gave me a fresh orange to reward my right timing. On my way back, I followed signs for a path back to Positano. The trail ended in the middle of the road and another couple of hikers told me that I was really close to a restaurant I spotted in my way up. With a smashing view of the coast, I had lunch at la Tagliata where I learn the new definition of fresh food. Afterwards, I found out that this restaurant is really hard to get in without reservation. It certainly paid off to follow my intuition and wonder without expectations.
Also at their advice, I spent an unforgettable afternoon in the ruins of Pompeii. This city tells incredible stories about their inhabitants. One of the rooms you get to walk in was the equivalent of a restaurant. There were no kitchens in their homes! they always ate out. The amazing paintings in the wall are indelible pictures in my mind. It is utterly impressive to see the ruins of an entire city.
My last evening in Positano, I went for dinner with the Argentinians at Ristorante Mediterraneo. They have befriended a roman lady that comes every summer on her own without her husband… They knew the owner, the singer, the waiters, and it was like a bit party. The food was delicious and the chocolaty dessert better than the food.
Even though it seems that I spent a lot of my time in the company of my new friends. I still had lots of time doing my own thing and practice mindfulness. Practicing yoga in the balcony facing the sea, walking around the town taking pictures, swimming in the ocean, and savoring amazing local foods were improved exponentially because mindfulness changed these experiences from doing to being. I had the best time just being in the moment, in silence, in the company of my friend within.
Swami Rama says in his book, Living With the Himalayan Masters, "I am never lonely. A lonely person is one who is not aware of the complete fullness within. When you become dependent on something outside without having awareness of the reality within you, then you will indeed be lonely. The whole search for enlightenment is to seek within, to become aware that you are complete in yourself. You are perfect. You don’t need any externals. No matter what happens in any situation, you need never be lonely."
Never fear traveling alone. Next time you feel an itch to hit the road, go alone and open up to people and opportunities that will show on your way but above all, spend some time just being and in the good company of your inner self, your friend within!
Looks like to you had a great trip with some very fortuitous moments and met some wonderful people, Amyris!