Photog
raphy^ Abi^ WhyteStay safe
Exploring somewhere new by yourself is a rewarding
experience, but it’s important to think about your safety
too. Head to bit.ly/CMtravelsolo to read more of our
tips for staying safe while travelling alone.Photog
raphy^ Abi^ Whyte112 CalmMoment.com
Clockwise from top left:
colourful buildings adorn
Tallinn’s streets; drawing
helps Abi to unwind; Abi
exploring the city walls;
a good book makes a
great companion.marriage, and it’s good for me. I know I’ll return home
a better mother, wife and all-round human, my head
filled with memories I want to share.
Later that evening I go out for dinner in one of the
Old Town’s many restaurants, armed with a book to
flick through between courses. I sit at the counter that
surrounds the open kitchen, and soon find myself
chatting with the chef and a few fellow diners from
Australia. My book lies on the table, untouched all
evening. This is one of the best things I find about
travelling alone – you’re not so ‘closed off ’ as when
you’re with a friend or part of a group, people are
more willing to approach you and talk to you, and
suddenly you’re making new friends and sharing
experiences. The Australian diners share some tips
for things for me to see over the rest of my holiday,
and the next morning I excitedly pull on my trainers
for a quick run around the city centre.
I manage to find a yoga centre, a spa, that little
church those lovely people recommended last night,
somewhere to go for lunch later – all mentally noted
as I jog along the maze-like streets, quiet save for a
roadsweep and traders setting up their stalls. Aside
from that I don’t do much planning. While there are
one or two things I definitely want to see during my
stay, I find the best experiences I have on holiday are
spontaneous ones, when aimless meanderings takeme down unexpected paths. A classic example is a
tiny ceramics gallery I come across during my run,
tucked away in one of the city wall’s towers. I venture
inside and an elderly ceramicist shows me around her
workshop, then invites me to climb the winding stone
staircase into the attic for a stunning view of the city
below. I’m certainly not expecting this at 8 am.
Before heading back to my hostel for a shower, I sit
on the grass to do some stretches, then give up and
flop out like a starfish to stare at the sky. Crucially,
it’s this – the fallow time – I savour on these solo trips.
The time for sitting and staring, and not much else.
As well as being a time to recharge, travelling alone
can also be a time to reflect, to take stock of how
things are in your regular life at home, and to make
changes if you need to.
During this trip I’ve learned that frantically
‘treading water’ day by day is not a good thing;
I need to incorporate more moments of stillness- of sky-watching – into my life.