Lettie Goes Travelling

I’m an only child, so I’m very comfortable in my own company

But I’m also an extrovert — I can talk to an empty room and I love having fun

We’re all a bit complicated like that, aren’t we? 😊

And I have to say… I love travelling on my own

I love the freedom it gives you

I used to travel with quite a bit of structure

What I was doing

what I was seeing

where I was eating

But as my confidence has grown, that’s softened

Now I’m more spontaneous

I’ll wander off my Google Maps route if something catches my eye

follow a local recommendation

or try somewhere I might have walked past before

And those moments?

They’re the ones that stay with you

A tiny square filled with plants and flowers

Being seated with a local family spanning three generations

Ending up with a baby on my knee while chatting to Nonna about pasta flour

But for me, the real gift of travelling alone is choice

I choose what I do

when I do it

If I get it right — great

If I get it wrong — lesson learnt

No endless back and forth of

“What do you want to do?”

Some might call that selfish

I call it self-care 🌞

I remember my first night in Lisbon

Early flight

bag dropped

city explored

By the time dinner came around, I was ready

I wandered the narrow streets near my hotel and found a restaurant

Not busy… but a local was eating a seafood cataplana

Good sign

I took a table outside and ordered

What I hadn’t realised was I was right next to the menu board

Part way through my starter, a Scottish family stopped to look

Grandparents, parents, kids

“Menu looks good”

“Prices are fine”

“Do you want to eat here?”

“Should we go back to that other place?”

“Can you remember how to get to it?”

It was going to take them hours 😄

So I leant over and said:

“The food’s really good, so is the wine… they’ve got a big table free — I’d just eat here if I were you”

Grandma looked straight at me

“She’s right — in you go”

They all sat down

My cataplana arrived

One of the sons looked over

“What have you got there? That looks great…”

They all ordered it 😂

As I was leaving, they thanked me

Then asked how long I’d lived in Lisbon

Their faces when I said “about 10 hours” were priceless

So even when you’re travelling on your own

you’re only as alone as you want to be

And those little moments?

They’re everywhere