I have been "home to Italy" every year for the past 5 solo. and 2 years ago i took a sabatical in Sorrento for 3 months. Since i am older most people dont notice me but i had no problem traveling throughout the country and visiting most of the sites i wanted to see.

suggestions: some of my best hotel accomodations have been booked with monestary.com. throughout italy there are many convents/monestaries that no longer are used as school or hve enough memebers. They rent CLEAN room, are safe and in the case of the one i stayed in in Spoletto had some of the best food of my entire trip.
The sisters and staff usually think it is interesting that you are off on your own and are curious. In most of the locations i meet travelers from other countries as well as Italy. If you want more of a service/social setting the properties with Venere have been great. i travel by train so i prefer to be within walking distance of the train stations. I have not tried hotels but i understand they are getting better all the time.

suggestion: the VERY BEST trip i had was the one where i took a week of language lessions (in sorrento) i met women from 5 other countries,I was the only American in the school and started to feel like an Italian instead of a tourist.

buono viaggio www.hometoitaly.com

Travel Solo

Why do Americans travel as if they were on the ark?
Does anyone except the most fearless, go off on their own and expericence the world, life?

This begins a series of stories about two adventures:

solo trip across the Atlantic for 21 days with 2,500 "new friends"

and a life adventure (no longer do I travel on vacations) in 2008 when I traveled to Sorrento, Italy to rent an apartment in town and live as an Italian!

Solo travel, not single travel is freeing! There is nothing like the experience of knowing you can do what ever you want. No worry that your companion does not care to walk to the top of the tower, eat whenever you wish, sit and read all afternoon in the piazza if you find the urge, I can go on and on.

When i returned I found my life, attitude and future had changed. I no longer had worry line, lost sleep in fear of my next appointment, and most of all I discovered I was happy!

You may think this is odd but working 24/7 for the past 20 years I never took time to just be.
Time to think, reflect, expand ideas. It is amazing what the mind can create when it is given space.

What I discovered about solo travel will be posted soon.

Ciao bella!

a Blog is Born!

After an extensive 3 hour class today, a Blog is born.
more to follow soon