Going solo

Unfortunately, this is not the latest rendition of Roald Dahl’s novel, but somehow this title could also be used as a title for what my journey is turning into. But I am getting ahead of myself. The past few months have been both very busy and awfully rewarding. Every time I had a bad day or something upset me (trust me there was plenty of that this summer) all I had to do was think of my upcoming adventure to Tanzania and everything seemed much better immediately. At the same time I had plenty of things to prepare from buying gadgets and gear to getting all the medical preparations ticked off my to do list. I remember when I first went to Tanzania the preparation phase was highly exciting for me, especially since I had to get all the immunisations including hepatitis, yellow fever, you name it. Continously, I went on my weekly treks to the doctor’s to get my poor arm poked and prodded.The highlight however was travelling to Cologne to visit one of Germany’s biggest outdoor shops to buy mosquito repellent, outdoor clothing, sleeping bags etc. It’s funny because I particularly remember a sale’s assistance, a lovely elderly lady from Angola who clasped her hands in excitement when she heard that I was travelling to Tanzania, telling me that this would be a journey for the heart. Oh how true she had been. So, when I jumped on the train a few weeks ago to go up to Cologne it kind of felt like travelling back in time. Only this time I live much closer and so the train ride was much shorter. That shop is truly a marvellous place for adventures. You want to buy a winter jacket for your arctic expedition? Well, you should better see how warm it is in the freezer room. You want to buy a canoe? Well, best try it out - right here in the shop’s own pond. It’s very hard to remember the things one had come there to buy and not walk out with a cool new axe and some rope climbing gear, just because it all looked so exciting. I think I managed quite well, even though my bank account would disagree but I walked out with some good quality and functional outdoor clothes, brand new hiking socks, a new pocket knife and a really cool backpack that finally fits my body like a glove and won’t leave me crippled after this trip (I hope). The preparations were going on full swing, and I was trying hard to keep track of any loose ends and not get them into a muddle. The fact that I had just quit my job a few weeks ago also didn’t quite help redundant the mental load. But never mind, I was making good progress on my preparations and having a bit of chaos in my life is actually normal. However, I didn’t expect what happened next. About 10 days before take-off I got a phone call from Anya. She was not going to make it to our trip (I will not disclose any more details on here for privacy reasons). I was gobsmacked. Obviously, I felt incredibly sorry for Anya as she was truly upset and I mean, so was I. This was supposed to be OUR trip - the return so to speak. We had saved up a lot of money, we had planned it all for months and had both been so looking forward to it. “What about you? Will you still go?” Anya asked. I didn’t even need to think about it, I just blurted out “I am definitely still going”. For me this was more of a rhetoric question. Too much joy, work (and money) had gone into this trip. When I told my mum that Anya wasn’t coming and that I was planning to go on my own she didn’t try to convince me otherwise. I could tell she was worried but I reckon she figured that arguing with that daughter of hers that sounded so determined would prove pretty useless. Nevertheless, for two days after that phone call I felt like someone had drained all the energy from my body. The excitement of going on this adventure had vanished and it all felt more like a burden than anything else. On the third day however I found my travel spirit again. Maybe it was due to the fact that the Lion King played on the radio and I put it on full blast singing along in the car calling it a sign from the Disney Gods or maybe I felt motivated by a post I saw online. “The challenges you face in life make you who you are” it read. Well, guess I am a solo female traveller now. After all, this blog is called “Katie on an adventure”, and an adventure it will surely be. After all, it wasn’t the first time I was travelling somewhere alone. My friends were also very supportive, cheering me on and telling me that I would have a fabulous time. And even though they made me feel absolutely sure about my decision I still had do adapt the original trip to what would now be a solo adventure. Emails were sent, people were contacted (oh how I love networking) and hostels/ day trips were booked. I was in full swing again and slowly but surely that tingle of excitement crept back into my tummy. Time flew by so quickly and it’s nearly time to leave Germany. Feeling well prepared because the important things are booked and planned and everything else will fall into place, they always do I am now filled with a childish giddiness, excited for what lays ahead and also a huge curiosity for what this adventure will bring this time. What will be different, what will be familiar? The last time I travelled to Tanzania it definitely had a huge impact on me and who knows what this solo adventure will hold for me…