Why in the world would a site called World Travel for Couples be publishing an article about solo travel?  Well, being that we are equal opportunity travelers here, we do want to appeal to everyone.  Also, for the first time in my travel experiences, I traveled solo on my recent trip to Puerto Rico.

Back in April, I had the opportunity to go to Puerto Rico on my very first press trip.  Since Megan is laboring away in a real job at the moment, I had to fly solo for the first time.

And let me tell you something, it is NOT easy.  I seriously admire all you solo travelers out there, and I honestly don’t know how you do it.  We have several tactics for traveling as a couple, and I am so used to having Megan by my side that I simply didn’t know what to do at times.

Luckily for me I didn’t have too much time on my own as our itinerary was pretty packed, but I knew this was going to be odd from the get-go.  Being alone at the airport before leaving was a bit disconcerting to me, and there were several experiences that stuck out.

I had no one to talk to.  I had no one to point out the idiocy of the get in line 30 minutes before boarding and anxiously pace around while waiting for your zone to be called people (making fun of random strangers is a favorite past time of ours).  I had no one to talk me out of getting that completely unnecessary $10 beer during my layover (at 10am nonetheless).  I had no one to bitch to about airports charging $20 to use their Wi-Fi.

The weirdness continued as I landed and got off the plane.  I guess I never realized this, but I am not a small talk kind of guy, and I sometimes feel uncomfortable chit-chatting.  The wife is always the one to chat up the cab driver on our drives from the airport or bus station, asking poignant questions and seeming genuinely interested in the responses.  As I sat there trying to make small talk, I longed for my wife to be there to take the conversation over.  It’s just not my thing, and I probably come off as rude, which I’m not trying to be.  I’m just uncomfortable in these situations.

I had the afternoon to myself before our first event that evening, and the hotel was in the business district of San Juan.  I was starving and hoping to grab a bite to eat in a restaurant that wasn’t in a hotel.  Thinking myself perfectly capable of finding a nearby restaurant on my own (and being a stubborn man), I headed out with my phone and google maps in hand.  After being convinced that my map was wrong and cursing at my phone as I wandered for an hour, I was getting short on time so I headed back to the trusty hotel bar.

After a half a day of traveling alone, I was firmly out of sorts.  I realized then and there that I flat out suck as a solo traveler.  I’m too indecisive on my own, I don’t ask for help when I know the task at hand will be easier if I do, and I sometimes make poor decisions with no one looking over my shoulder (hello ordering 1 more beer and a pizza at the hotel bar at 2am!).

Not to mention that I just didn’t like being alone.  I really enjoy having my wife there with me to experience all these amazing things, and I found myself wishing she was there on many occasions.  It’s just more fun to share my travel experiences with Megan.  I totally understand that it is nice to do whatever it is that you want to do at all times, but I’ll take compromising any day of the week.

Since I am married to my best friend, and since we do make kick-ass travel partners (she keeps my lack of humbleness in check, too), I have never thought about taking a trip solo.  But I have assumed that if I had to, I could, and that I actually thought it might be kind of cool to do someday.  I have plenty of travel experience, so how hard can it be, right?

If my Puerto Rico experience was any indication, though, it might be a better idea to stick to the couples travel thing.  I seem to be better at that, and at times I was completely lost on my own.  Much to my chagrin, I will experience the art of solo travel again this weekend as I head up to Vancouver by myself for the annual TBEX conference.  Hopefully I can improve on my previous experience.

Are you part of a traveling couple?  Have you ever ventured out solo?  Were you as lost as I was?  Comment below to tell your story.