Single in my 30s, solo trips feel like my only option

I love traveling, but as a single woman in my 30s, the days of trips with friends feel behind me. Many of my friends are married — some with kids — and coordinating schedules and budgets has become difficult. As great as my solo travel experiences have been, I wish they weren't my only option.

I used to share trips — a long weekend in Paris with my best friend, a fortnight around China and Hong Kong as part of a school exchange, and even a week in Ibiza with a colleague. After graduating from college in 2014, things started to shift: friends moved in with partners, married, and then had children, making family holidays the priority.

I often found myself prioritizing their availability over my own plans and budget, or tagging along on couples’ group trips at greater cost to me. In 2019 I decided I was done waiting and booked a solo trip to New York. Worried about loneliness, I timed the visit when a friend would be in the city and met up a few times, which helped.

solo travel, single woman, 30s, married friends, budgets, paris, china, hong kong, ibiza, new york