Recommended: Travel Solo to Heal a Broken Heart

This week we have the pleasure of Renee Warren’s reflections on her year away solo after breaking up with a long time boyfriend. So many trips to take. So many reasons to take them. Please follow Renee to Austalia…

As I boarded the plane to travel solo to Melbourne Australia, I looked back at my parents. My dad’s last words were “Don’t talk to strangers”. A bit of an inside joke as I was off traveling all the way around the world on my own. It left me giggling although my heart was still mending from the ‘other man in my life’s’ last words … “It’s over”.

Travel solo to recover from a break up.

Where to go? What to do? The 39 hours of traveling left me delirious. But I couldn’t complain as the Aussies kindly helped me find where I was staying. I hmm’d and hawed as I walked alone through the clean streets of downtown Melbourne thinking just how fantastic my decision to travel alone was. The people here are great! Although I was lonely, I was never really alone.

You’re never alone when you travel as you’re constantly sharing experiences and learning new things with all the new people you meet. From the busy train platforms, to the museums and restaurants you visit, a traveler is always in the company of strangers.

The sheer beauty of the countries I visited over the course of the year; Australia, Fiji and Mexico, outweighed the hurt and anguish my heart was feeling. From the “g’day mate” to the “Bula” (God Bless) and the “Come Esta?” welcomes of the local people, I couldn’t help but feel happy. I was soaking in the sites, sounds, tastes, and touches of the cultures and earth around me. “Time heals all wounds” is inaccurate. “Travel heals all wounds” is more like it. So I kept on going, up and down the coasts, in and out of countries and feeling better and better every step of the way.

It didn’t take much for me to realize that my heart was mending when I met a boy that swept me off my feet. He was romantic, kind and caring and would do anything to help me enjoy the most out of my year away. He brought me to Philip Island where I saw the Penguin Parade, to restaurants, spa’s, wineries and more. And although our time together was short, he left a tiny foot print on my heart and a realization that I was healed.

If you have a broken heart I highly recommend traveling, especially traveling solo. You will meet amazing people, encounter spectacular beauty, and learn so much about yourself. You will return knowing a little more about the world, but more importantly, you will return with a mended heart.

By Renée Warren