I spotted Katie quickly at the airport in Barbados - she had a big smile and looked exactly like her online photo. As I waved across the arrivals hall, and we walked towards each other. I suddenly felt a bit nervous. 'What on earth am I doing? flashed across my mind, and reality set in that I was about to go on holiday with somebody I'd never met before a complete stranger. I'd come across Katie on a global travel website for women only eight weeks earlier, we'd never spoken and had only chatted via Messenger before booking a 10-day Caribbean cruise together.
It might sound crazy, but I knew this new adventure would be good for me although, if you'd told me a year ago that I'd be travelling with a stranger, I never would have believed it.
I worked in public health and I loved to travel in my spare time. But my friends weren't always free to go on trips with me because some had children or other family commitments, and I didn't fancy travelling by myself, much preferring a bit of company.
So, I joined a few travelling buddy groups online in the hope of finding people to join me on trips and share the cost. The thought of travelling with a stranger was a bit daunting, but I figured I could just use the groups to make friends to begin with.
Then in October 2022, a woman named Katie posted on solo female travelers. club that she was looking for a travel buddy for a Caribbean cruise. I messaged her and almost immediately, we got along, bonding over our shared love of travel and adventure.
Denne historien er fra June 24, 2024-utgaven av WOMAN'S OWN.
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Denne historien er fra June 24, 2024-utgaven av WOMAN'S OWN.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
FAST & THRIFTY DINNERS
Filling family meals to save you time and money
ARE VIRAL FITNESS TRENDS WORTH THE HYPE?
Keen to know if the workouts she sees online can actually make her fitter, Rachel Tompkins, 44, gives them a try
GO OUT OF SEASON
While some European cities seem to go into hibernation over winter, others just get better in the colder months
MY LIFE IN MUSIC
Monica Cafferky, 55, reveals how certain tunes bring back special memories
THE DECISION THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
After trying diets without success, Breanne Concannon, 31, was left feeling hopeless
MY TOY ΒΟΥ KEEPS ME YOUNG
For Trish Hughes, 44, the thrills of being married to a man 20 years younger is worth all the judgement
'THAT'S NOT MY BABY'
Lying in the hospital bed, my husband Michael had tears of happiness in his eyes as he showed me a photo on his phone. 'Here she is,' he said proudly. 'This is our beautiful baby girl.'I stared at the photo and shook my head. 'No, that's not my baby,' I said. 'There must be a mistake.'It was August 2010 and I'd not long before had an emergency caesarean. I'd not had a chance to see Winnie when she arrived as she'd been whisked away for tests because she was nearly two months premature.
CAUGHT IN THE ACT
Hayley, 45, has her son to thank for crucial evidence
'I'D LOVE TO DO EASTENDERS'
Loose Women's Linda Robson on the daytime show, dating and her next career move
Beckhams INSIDE THEIR PROPERTY EMPIRE
We take a look at the power couple's posh pads
