The furry feline paw darting under the door as you settle in for an empty bladder and maybe a minute of quiet. The “I don’t know, what do YOU want for dinner” or the “What do YOU want to watch on tv tonight?”. The “Mom! Mom! Mom!”. Odds are something along these lines have haunted just about everyone at some point in their existence. Peace and quiet it seems is sometimes just out of reach.

My dear friend set off on her first solo journey this week. And not just to the mall or grocery store. A real vacation, sans husband, family and friends, to a sunny, tropical place as a milestone birthday celebration. Her excitement was almost intoxicating as we shared her plans to sleep in, dip her toes in the hot sand, read books, people watch, drink fruity island drinks and….not be at the beck and call of commitments. Her joy of going was somewhat tempered by naysayers who couldn’t believe she would have the gumption to travel stag, let alone for her birthday! She’s one of the busiest of retired souls that I know. Family, church, volunteering. And very happily married with a grown child. 

We tend to get lost in the day to day of our lives. Indeed empaths, specifically, spend an inordinate amount of time tending to the requirements of others and rarely step back to address our own needs. I was quick to assure her that her adventure was well earned, beneficial and supported, even if not everyone understood. I have traveled companionless and can attest to the merits of being at my own beck and call. There is something almost magical and healing in making decisions for ourselves alone and in pursuing our own whims as they arise. Most assuredly, solo travel is not for everyone. I know of one individual, when left to his own independent devices, practically made himself sick while on a solo vacation. What I also know is that somehow the dinner and tv binge watching debates back home are more than passably acceptable once we return. And that paw under the bathroom door? Well, to be honest, that is always kinda cute.