The World is my Oyster

Just over a year ago, I returned from seven weeks in Southeast Asia, totally infected with the travel bug. I had a week home for Christmas, spent 2 weeks in Hawaii with my extended family, another week at home to pack, fund raise and get a ton of vaccines before heading to Tanzania. I was extremely motivated, driven and so excited to be following through with the dreams and plans I'd made years ahead of time.

Here I am now, still itching to leave, with some kind of bag left in a semi-packed state at all times. I still haven't been home for more than a week at a time and I still don't have any concrete plans to get out of the county come January... which was the plan. I'm flying totally solo this time, which is more daunting than liberating this time around. I survived Africa (with only one minor mugging incident on the first day) on my own - as a Solo White Female Traveller - but don't really like the idea of taking off again for another 4 months of solitude. I've already survived close to 1 year in relative isolation and I'm slowly starting to confuse solitude with loneliness. How much more can I learn about myself through restaurant dinners alone and long bus rides with the trusty iPod? Why is it that when I have the time and freedom to travel and all my nomadic friends are deciding to put down roots or educate themselves? Perhaps I should choose a destination that more solo travellers are bound to choose, so that I'm not the only mzungu in town at any given time...

Which leads me to the next conundrum; Everywhere in the world is on my list of places to see in my lifetime. How do I narrow it down and pick one (or a few) for now? I have almost 4 empty months ahead of me and the possibilities are endless. Did I ever mention that I am a horribly indecisive person? All these options, my sad solo standing and this lack of motivation are keeping me in a rut... a rut that is keeping me at home.

Excuse me while I go start throwing darts at my world map...