My first solo trip was to southern Germany. I was 18. I’d had six years of German, 7th through 12th grades. Suddenly I was in Germany, but couldn’t understand a word. They were speaking a thick Bavarian dialect.
All these years later, and that’s become my second home, base for my solo travel throughout the rest of Germany and Europe.
My Chai trip to Israel was also solo. Ten days in Jerusalem (with side trip to Tel Aviv, where I got to sit in Ben-Gurion’s chair), eight days driving myself from Masada to Kibbutz Ein Gedi up through the West Bank to Gesher to Kinneret to Kfar Blum. And on to Z’fat, Ma’asada on the Golan Heights, Tel Dan, Metullah, and Qiryat Shemonah.
Whether Germany, Israel, Romania, Hungary, or Austria, for me the secret of solo traveling is communicating. Even without knowing their language. Funniest communication story: In Orenburg, Russia (on the Kazakhstan border) landed in a restaurant. Assumed menu would be in Russian and either German or English. German, because Orenburg was a German settlement. But no. And the waiters couldn’t speak either German or English.
Walked from table to table, looking at what people were eating. I’d point to that salad, that meat, that vegetable. I asked in English, “Ice cream?” Everyone in the restaurant started laughing. “ICE CREAM!”
One of my best meals ever. Such camaraderie, unexpected.
High school spanish didn't do a whole lot of preparing me for the fast speaking dialect that I encountered, but it was enough to get where I needed to go for most part lol. I totally agree that the secret to travel is communication. Even if there's a significant language barrier it's possible.
That's amazing you began solo traveling so early! That Israel trip for me wasn't until 26, and Belize was this past winter.
My first solo trip was to southern Germany. I was 18. I’d had six years of German, 7th through 12th grades. Suddenly I was in Germany, but couldn’t understand a word. They were speaking a thick Bavarian dialect.
All these years later, and that’s become my second home, base for my solo travel throughout the rest of Germany and Europe.
My Chai trip to Israel was also solo. Ten days in Jerusalem (with side trip to Tel Aviv, where I got to sit in Ben-Gurion’s chair), eight days driving myself from Masada to Kibbutz Ein Gedi up through the West Bank to Gesher to Kinneret to Kfar Blum. And on to Z’fat, Ma’asada on the Golan Heights, Tel Dan, Metullah, and Qiryat Shemonah.
Whether Germany, Israel, Romania, Hungary, or Austria, for me the secret of solo traveling is communicating. Even without knowing their language. Funniest communication story: In Orenburg, Russia (on the Kazakhstan border) landed in a restaurant. Assumed menu would be in Russian and either German or English. German, because Orenburg was a German settlement. But no. And the waiters couldn’t speak either German or English.
Walked from table to table, looking at what people were eating. I’d point to that salad, that meat, that vegetable. I asked in English, “Ice cream?” Everyone in the restaurant started laughing. “ICE CREAM!”
One of my best meals ever. Such camaraderie, unexpected.
High school spanish didn't do a whole lot of preparing me for the fast speaking dialect that I encountered, but it was enough to get where I needed to go for most part lol. I totally agree that the secret to travel is communication. Even if there's a significant language barrier it's possible.
That's amazing you began solo traveling so early! That Israel trip for me wasn't until 26, and Belize was this past winter.
Thanks for reading, Denise!
🌹🌻🌸💐💚💜❤️🌼😍🥰