#1 travel myth of a woman traveling alone

When I left her in Melbourne, Dee said that the world is my oyster. It was wonderful to hear, but I had yet to believe it. One world had ended and my new world had yet to begin. I was between worlds…

Feb. 19, 2014 – Arrive Sydney, Australia – Rothwell Guest House, Glebe

Glebe is a great part of Sydney. My room at the guest house was $80/night, unheard of affordability in Sydney, and just a short walk up Ferry Rd. to an amazing bakery and lots of restaurants. The bus stop to the harbor (the 431 & 433 bus lines) was right in front of the bakery. I purchased my $15, 10-ride bus ticket at the news store across from the Glebe library and hopped on the bus. The Writer’s Walk leads up to the Opera House. One of my favorite plaques on the walk reads:

“Australian history is almost always picturesque, indeed it is so curious and strange that it is itself the chiefest novelty the country has to offer. It does not read like history, but like the most beautiful lies. And all of a fresh sort, not moldy old stale ones. It’s full of surprises, and adventures and incongruities, and incredibilities, but they are all true, they all happened.” – Mark Twain

While I saw a late-night show at the Opera House, The QE2 anchored in Sydney Harbor. Along with hundreds of people lining the harbor, I waved to those on board as they sailed out to sea. When the ship sounded it’s horn, we all hollered. In the midst of the spontaneous celebration with my new-found friends, I realized I’d just left my safe harbor and set sail in the world too.

Feb 20th, 2014 – Sydney

A comedy of errors leads me to missing my tour two times today. But without missing it so many times, I might not have met Gabriella and Vidal. They are each other’s Ex’s and found they can’t be married but love each other very much, so they travel together. They’d just traveled to Uganda because Gabriella loves gorillas and wanted to see them up close. This involved trekking for five hours with armed guards.

Gabriella and Vidal found their brave new world. I begin to look forward to mine.

Feb 21, 2014 – Flight to Jakarta, Indonesia somewhere over Australia’s Northern Territory

My devotional reads: 

“Do not cast away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance…” (Hebrews 10:35)

My heart tells me that I’m on a pilgrimage. I never really thought of this trip in that way. My heart is telling me that I’ll find healing here. My job is to be myself. It’s something I can’t screw up. There’s only one me and there’s precious little time left. Living life authentically is all I’m interested in. I am brave. I am strong. The wisdom of my soul is learning to trust the mystery of the unknown.

Jakarta, Indonesia

The sweet family of a friend of mine picked me up at the airport in Jakarta. Baba is the head of the family, a man just north of 70 and the only Christian in his village. I learn he was one of 19 children and his mother had 132 grandchildren. The family sings most of the road trip from Jakarta to Bandung––Indonesian songs, mostly. When they spontaneously broke out in Tell Laura I Love Her it nearly brought me to tears. In this instant I enjoy being between worlds and know this trip would have never happened without one world ending.

This is the first time on this trip that I’ve been with people who don’t speak English. I would have been completely unable to communicate with them without the Google Translate App. Through the App I’d find out that a witch practicing black magic tried to cast a spell on me at the airport. Baba cautioned me to be very careful of who I come in physical contact with, or I might find myself withdrawing all my money at an ATM and handing it over to the witch. Baba further warned me, “Witches always dress beautifully and have pretty faces.

I was a great curiosity to those I met, especially people in Indonesia. A woman traveling the world alone. I found the biggest myth for a woman traveling alone is that she’s alone. From the time I got on the plane at LAX I was never alone. As I traveled the world, my family got bigger.

to be continued…