Drama: Solo Travel Tales from the Darkside

My supposedly drama free plans…

I initially planned to spend 5 days in Cappadocia, Turkey. As in, it’s been on my calendar for months. Predictably, my primary reason for venturing to this small town is to watch the ridiculously beautiful sea of hot air balloons magically floating overhead. Yes, this dreamy spectacle is on my mind hardcore. Imagining the backdrop of a pristine sky from the terrace (or, hopefully rooftop) of my cave hotel is dominating my thoughts. But, my life is like water. It shifts out and spreads around during inconvenient times, and travel drama is a stranger that has become a constant companion.

I am no stranger to travel drama.

After several years of fighting it, I realized that it’s impossible to escape proverbial wrenches in what were once meticulous plans. There is always drama when I travel solo, always. The only constant that I finally accepted is that something out of my control will alter my schedule.

To be fair, I often have the good fortune of lucking into amazing experiences. However, I also have a serious knack for stumbling into horrible, often comical situations.

For example, the time my Airbnb host wouldn’t part with my keys until we sang with the Hare Krishnas in Prague while it snowed comes to mind. No disrespect to the Krishnas, but it was crazy. This was immediately after being pickpocketed at the Vienna train station and losing my new phone. Now, this situation makes me laugh, but I admit that I was in tears at the time. As I said, travel drama has become a fast friend.

Okay, Ibiza is a good reason to change course.

This change of plans is actually a good thing, as I am meeting up with my cousin in Ibiza. However, now I only have two days to watch the hot air balloons. And, given that they don’t fly during inclement weather, I know that I am traveling an awfully long way with odds that aren’t great. It’s best to be prepared.

Embracing the LX Factory.

In the meantime, I am exploring Lisbon, and this Portugal trip is turning out to be completely different from when I visited last year. And, when I say different, I mean better. I somehow missed out on the best neighborhoods. Yesterday, I spent the afternoon at the LX Factory, and it was awesome. Welcoming, a little edgy (in a good way) and seriously cool, I am smitten with the hippie chic LX vibe. 

Setting myself up for failure?

Still, I can’t get those bewitching balloons off my mind, and I’m actually kind of stressed about it. Plus, my trip from Cappadocia to Ibiza is horrendous. I am giving myself tons of extra time in the different airports, in case something goes wrong with one of my flights. Unfortunately, that seems to happen a lot lately.

With three flights in one day, all I need is for one airline to be off schedule for things to fall apart. So, I’m crossing my fingers that travel drama stays at bay. My only thought is that there are so many opportunities for things to go wrong that I will inexplicably have a seamless day of flying.

Hot air balloon hopes.

Quite frankly, I don’t love my odds for hot air escapades, but when you travel for months at a time, nothing goes to plan. And, honestly, would you want it to? My ridiculous tales have defined my life for so long that I fear I might be lost without them. Still, my fingers are crossed that I will get the chance to soak up those stunning balloons!