Lady Travel Talk: Independent Travels

We are pleased to introduce our 5th guest blogger of the Lady Travel Talk, a mini-series tailor made for female travelers. This series covers a host of topics related to the travel experiences of each of the ladies contributing to the series. Today's guest blogger is Michele Loeper, co-founder of CMYK Growth a local marketing consultancy.

Michele is a seasoned marketer with more than 15 years experience in the areas of branding and advertising. She has worked on both the agency and the client sides of the business, having worked for such brands as Pfizer, Armstrong Flooring, Capital Blue Cross, HERSHEYPARK, Turkey Hill Dairy, and Hershey's Chocolate USA. She loves to write when she can, and lives for those light-bulb moments.

Today Michele shares and reminisces about her flying experiences and falling in love with independent travel.

Traveling alone has always been invigorating to me. I feel fiercely independent when I hop on a plane alone. I embrace the freedom (from the day-to-day responsibilities at home), and face the adventure head on. And let’s face it, traveling these days is often an adventure, if nothing else.
I travel for business quite often, and while I don’t always love leaving my family behind, I choose to look at travel as a sign of how far I’ve come…and how blessed I am as a woman to be able to have such a rewarding and independent career.

I will admit, It’s difficult to see flying as anything but burdensome these days, what with all the heightened security, new airline fees, restrictions on carry-on items….there’s a lot to feel “bothered” by. But I’d like to challenge you to see it differently.

My love for travel began in my early 20s when my first employer sent me to a training workshop in Chicago. Not only did I fall in love with that wonderful city, I LOVED the feeling of flying -- the feeling that I was going…somewhere. I remember sitting on that plane thinking of my beloved grandmother, and how she never even had a driver’s license. But there I was, at 24 years old, boarding a plane with a ticket purchased by my employer, off to a big city, all by myself. I guess I felt like I arrived.

I traveled a few more times in my 20s, mostly on business. I’ve been to LA twice, San Francisco twice, San Diego, Florida, New York City, and other less exciting locals. But it wasn’t until I turned 30 that I had my first real “adventure” that pushed my boundaries and took me outside of my comfort zone.

My best friend and I took ourselves to Paris for our 30th birthdays. We booked the tickets after a late night phone call. She lived in Boston, I lived in Harrisburg. We decided to fly out of Dulles International Airport. I could drive there easily, and she could fly there from Boston. It was a perfect plan. We would meet in Dulles and board our flight to Paris!

The day of our trip, I arrived at the airport gate only to find that my dear friend was nowhere in sight. This was before the days of Blackberrys and iPhones. I could not get in touch with her. After hearing the final boarding call, standing there at the gate I decided that I had no choice…it was time to board the plane and I was NOT going home. So, I boarded the plane alone to Paris. Not knowing where my friend was, or if I’d see her across the “big pond.” Oh, I should also mention that SHE was the one versed in French. I knew how to say “Hello” and ask for red wine. Beyond that, I was a little helpless.

So, while on the plane, a stranger among strangers…no friend in sight, I did what any sensible young woman would do, I enjoyed the complimentary wine…lots of it, and then fell asleep. I’m not sure I can articulate the vulnerability I felt as I walked off that plane at Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris. I had never been out of the country before. I didn’t speak the language. I had no clue how to get to the hotel…or even how to pronounce the hotel. All I had was a copy of Foder’s Paris, 1999 to guide me. Oh, and I was hung-over!

So, I approached a woman at what I assumed was their customer service desk and inquired about my friend. I, of course, began with the obligatory “Bon Jour!” (which in retrospect must have sounded obnoxious, at best). I then attempted to give her my friend’s name and inquired as to whether or not she had been looking for me. In my tired state this seemed like the perfect thing to do.

The woman stared at me…blankly. Then muttered something, in what I can only describe as an angry, condescending, dismissive tone…and shooed me away. I felt defeated.

I am still amazed at how calm I was at that time. Perhaps it had something to do with the jet leg…or the complimentary wine, or the simple fact that I really truly was elated to be in Paris – even if that meant spending the week alone. I was determined to tackle this city and to make the best of my indulgent birthday present.

But Just as I was on my way to the currency exchange counter, I heard this beautiful and very loud voice yell my name. I turn around and there was my friend. Smiling, looking just as tired as I was, waving uncontrollably. It turned out that Logan Airport in Boston rerouted her flight to London. How nice of them. Her flight from London landed in Paris just moments after mine did. We stood there laughing and hugging for a few minutes…just letting it all sink in. I think I knew, even at that moment, that I would never forget that trip…and that I would always strive to feel that independent.

I allowed myself to think about what I was going to do that week, if I couldn’t find Steph. Of course I would have called her friends in Boston, her employer, her family…just to make sure she was OK. But if she was unable to come for whatever reason, I was still determined to persevere. To embrace the freedom of being independent, and to simply allow myself to enjoy one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Turns out I did just that, but with my dear friend by my side. It was truly the girls’ vacation of a lifetime.

I have traveled a lot since that trip to Paris more than 10 years ago. And now, as a mother, I have to say that traveling does become a bit more stressful. It’s hard leaving my loved ones, and as a Mommy, I do sometimes feel guilty when I can’t be home with her.

But regardless of that, I still enjoy the simple fact that we live in a world where I can board a plane and travel anywhere...escaping from the day-to-day, even if just for a while. I like to think about the generations of women who have come before us, who could only have dreamed of such independence.

So, the next time you’re sitting on the tarmac, put down the Blackberry and look out the window. Stare out into the sky and embrace your independence. Because regardless of how annoying security was, or how expensive your check-in bag was, or how bad the airport food was…the simple truth is that you are going somewhere. And that is a beautiful thing.

"Every flyer who ventures across oceans to distant lands is a potential explorer; in his or her breast burns the same fire that urged adventurers of old to set forth in their sailing-ships for foreign lands." -- Jean Batten, 'Alone in the Sky' 1979.

Have you had an experiences similar to what Michele shared? Do you have on pivotal trip that resulted in you falling in love with flying or traveling?