I took the train for a wonderful me day in New York City see to Motown – The Musical on Broadway.   I took the train from my favorite station, NJ Transit’s Hamilton Station.

My solo travel gear normally consist of snacks, water, mace pepper spray, my iPod nano and my Kindle Fire.  I don’t believe that traveling has to be an expensive undertaking so to avoid the cost associated with buying snacks I pack some goodies from home.  One can never be to careful for their safety so I pack my pepper spray for my protection.  I enjoy my train rides which consist of people watching, looking out the window, and also reading my Kindle.  One note: I make sure that I am well rested the day of the trip so that I do not fall asleep on the train; safety first.

Upon arriving to Penn Station, I walked to the area where the Lunt-fontanne Theatre is located, which is where the musical is held.  Once within a block or two of the theater I found a restaurant for lunch, Havana Central, Cuban cuisine.   The food was really good and service was excellent.  During my lunch I read my Kindle.  I think some people are apprehensive about going out to eat alone because they think people are watching them or they won’t have anything to do to occupy the time while waiting for their meal.  I have found that no one is paying me any mind, they are engrossed in whatever is taking place at their table.  I generally bring my Kindle to read while dinning and if I don’t have that then I use my iPhone to read articles or check email, and if technology is not present I purchase a newspaper or a magazine.   In my opinion, we create a fear of something that is not reality rather it is our imagination run wild.

Once  I finished lunch, I went to the theater and enjoyed the musical.  I had front a row seat, which is one of the perks when you travel solo (easier to find the best seats when searching for 1 ticket).   Once in the theater, I initiate light chitchat with the people around me. I figured since I am spending the next 2+ hours with these people I should make myself comfortable.  Feeling comfortable talking to strangers comes easier to some than others but it is not impossible and once you start to do it I think it impacts other areas in your life.  I found that once I started initiating conversations in a social arena that my feelings of being intimidated by those in executive positions in my professional life diminished, my confidence rose.

Once the play was over I walked back to Penn Station to start my travel home.  This post was not so much about Motown – The Musical (it was phenomenal by the way), it was about what I do when I travel solo.  If you have never traveled solo because of fear or intimidation, I encourage you to try it – you will actually enjoy it and you will find you have the greatest travel companion of them all – U!