Solo Travel? There's Nothing Like It!

After a year filled with tragedy and heartache, Katreen Hardt, aged 44, decided to holiday by herself. Now 50, she’s addicted to travelling solo

On New Year’s Eve in 2012, I had a milestone moment. I found myself dancing barefoot to the salsa sound of a live band on Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands, full of optimism as I shimmied around the hotel ballroom in my floral maxi dress while I sipped Champagne. It was the last day of my first solo holiday, having fled to the island following the most horrendous year of my life. And although many tears were shed that week, that night I felt triumphant.

I’d never considered travelling alone before. I’d always gone on holiday with a partner, or visited my father at his home in Slovenia, where he worked as a university professor. But then in 2011, my life took a series of unexpected turns. I was blindsided with grief, heartbreak and an overwhelming sadness I’d never experienced before. I’d cry upon waking, and it took months before I could listen to music without being emotional.