Travelogger

We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment.

Traveling on the Road to Recovery

By

You are solidly in the middle of some major life change. You’ve got your coins, you’ve been working your steps, you’re making your meetings, and your sponsor is pretty proud of you. You have a fresh new view of the world through clean eyes, and your eyes want to see more of it.

Ways to travel and support your new sobriety

Planning your trip with sobriety in mind is a new direction. Where can you go? Are you traveling alone or with a friend? Do you need support? Each of these questions has to be thought through to enable you to continue to be victorious in your battle with addiction.

Where to go

Where you are in your recovery will have the greatest impact on where you go. If you are in the maintenance phase of change, and you can deal with outside influences, the doors are really open to you. Just be aware and recognize that no one is ever not an addict once they were one, and do not allow yourself to be in environments that are stacked against you standing strong.

If you are newly sober, maybe choosing to stay at a luxury treatment center would be an option. Spending time in a relaxing, comfortable, spa environment that focuses on drug and alcohol treatment can help you make significant progress towards your sober life.

Part of breaking the chains of addiction is separating yourself from destructive relationships. Putting some distance between you and those who might drag you back under will help you win.

Alone or with company

If you are alone, how confident in your sobriety are you? Will not having a friend with you allow you to sneak or sample your way back into your addictive behavior?

If you are traveling with a companion, how on board with your treatment are they? Are they sober too? If they are not, are they ok with a sober trip?

Or is your companion still looking for a good time, and does their good time involve heavy drinking or drug use? How are you going to handle a moment when they are under the influence and you are not?

So many questions, but so important if you want to stop living a destructive lifestyle.

Support systems

Just the same as if you are home, you can’t do this alone. Make sure you have a way to reach your sponsor or your clinician. Always have a way of contacting and being contacted. Having someone to hold you accountable and being accountable will go along way to your success.

Taking a break and finding some peace and relaxation can go along way towards reducing your stress levels and helping you stay on your road to recovery.

Go On A Cruise ALONE!

By

I wrote something about going as a solo traveler some time back, and I think it’s time to tackle this topic again. This is because I just found out something about cruise lines offering more solo travel deals these days. I have always wanted to go on a cruise but they’re just way too expensive for me. If this trend of lower prices for solos on cruises goes any further, then I just might find myself going on a cruise one of these days!

This is what I found out from Reuters:

“The tour industry is making way for the single traveler,” said Margie Jordan, spokesperson for the American Society of Travel Agents. “This is nothing that’s going to go away. The single traveler is going to have as many opportunities as anyone else.”

For years most travel deals were based on two people traveling together.

“Single travelers would see a price on line and we’ve had to break the news that if you’re going by yourself, it’s 150 to 200 percent more,” said Jordan, CEO of ASAP Travel. “They were left high and dry.”

But times are changing and Jordan said cruise lines in particular are stepping up. MSC Cruises is currently offering trips that waive the dreaded single supplement, which accounts for the price hike.

Norwegian Cruise Lines is one of the pioneers of this movement. While not every cruise line in the world is offering similar packages, I think that it is just a matter of time when other major lines will see the wisdom in doing so. Can’t wait!

Traveling Alone

By

solo_travelI saw a quote the other. These may not be the exact words, but it went: “It’s better to travel alone than to travel with a bad companion.”

Traveling alone is not something that appeals to everyone. This is especially true for couples and people who are attached to their friends and family. Why should they travel alone? But what if you suddenly find yourself with idle time without anyone to spend it with? Should you stay at home and hole yourself up? I think it’s a better idea to make travel plans, even if you have to go at it alone.

Naturally, traveling alone might take a little bit more careful planning. The beauty of it, though, is that you do not have to consult anybody else with regard to what you want to do, when you want to do it.

One thing you might want to do is to get a guidebook that is geared towards solo travelers. You may not believe it, but there are LOTS of people who travel solo these days, and the guidebook writers are not ignoring this fact. From accommodations to restaurants to other hangouts – you will find practical information for the solo traveler.

Another good idea is to know exactly where you’re going and staying – at least for your first night. While adventure is exciting, it is safer to have set plans for your first night in a strange place. Give yourself time to get your bearings and then do whatever strikes your fancy.

Choose your destination wisely. If you are traveling alone because you are trying to get away from something unpleasant – say a failed relationship – then avoid destinations which are geared towards honeymooners! If you are traveling alone to meet new friends, choose a destination geared towards single travelers. If you just want to be alone, go to a remote beach island where no one will bother you.

At the end of the day, planning will get you a long long way.

Photo courtesy of smh.com.au

If I Were to Eat, Pray, Love…

By

Who wouldn’t want to be in Elizabeth Gilbert’s shoes? She got paid to travel to three beautiful countries and write about it! Then again, she did have her fair share of troubles in life, but don’t we all?

The movie has recently been released, though I haven’t seen it yet. I actually do not know if I am going to watch it – reading the book was difficult enough for me. Don’t get me wrong – I did enjoy reading the book, but some parts were just a tad too close to home.

In any case, just like countless other women out there, I have found myself wishing for the same opportunity – to embark on my own Eat, Pray, Love journey. Given that I just might have that chance – albeit having to pay my own way – I have been dreaming about which places I would go to. Just to make it easier, I followed the basic structure – a month in each country, each country meant for one particular verb. Wanna know where my journey would take me in case it does happen?

Eat in Italy

Call me a copycat (but I am already copying Ms. Gilbert by dreaming up this journey, anyway), but there is something about Italy that just calls my name. The food, of course, and the truly lovely spoken language. If you know even just a little bit about this country and culture, it is indeed the perfect place to indulge one’s self – not that I haven’t been indulging myself in the past year!

Pray in Israel

The Holy Land – what better place to go for meditation and self-evaluation? Israel has always been one of my dream destinations.

Love in France/Greece

This is a very a close tie, as I fell in love with everything French as a kid. I won’t have the time or space to write down everything I love about this country/culture, but let’s just say that I would want to end this particular journey here. Then again, I cannot discount Greece – its beaches and lore. What better place to love?

Where would your own Eat, Pray, Love journey take you?

Photo credit: UggBoy