1I was twenty three when I boarded a plane alone for the first time, terrified and exhilarated.
2The plan fell apart within hours, when my connecting bus simply never arrived at the station.
3Stranded in a town whose name I could not pronounce, I had to ask strangers for help.
4A truck driver gave me a lift and refused any money, waving my thanks away.
5That night I learned that kindness is the most reliable currency a traveller can carry.
6Eating alone stopped feeling like failure and became a quiet pleasure I now protect fiercely.
7I got sick in Bolivia, and the pharmacist's daughter stayed with me until the fever broke.
8Solo travel did not make me fearless; it taught me that fear is rarely the whole story.
9Now, whenever a trip goes wrong, I remember that the wrong turns gave me the best stories.
10The world, it turns out, is far friendlier than the evening news would have you believe.