When You Least Expect It

So it’s been about 10 months since I promised that follow-up on my LA trip. I feel terrible for the blogatory neglect, but as it sometimes does, time lapsed and I fell back into my non-Travelista rabbit hole of routine at work and home.  I’ve ended up neglecting both my blog and that burning desire for travel for far too long… But with good reason.  And I am so excited to announce that my travel-famine has come to an end.  I am certain for many reasons that this trip will be well worth the long wait! Pennies and paid-vacation-days have been saving up for a while, so as you might imagine, this is not my typical weekend-road-trip! But before I can get into the details of this trip, how about I deliver on that promised LA follow-up?

When You Least Expect It

Though there is an exception to every rule, most solo travelers out there have something in common.  Most solo travelers are…well…

Single.  

You know “single” right? Those people you see sweating it out at the gym on Valentine’s night? The odd creatures that push a shopping cart full of individually frozen meals at the grocery store, because everything fresh is sold in “Family Size” quantity?

Well, when I went on that trip to SoCal last July, I fit the stereotype of the solo traveler. And I was content there. Though I had no aversion to relationships, I went to LA to relax and learn to enjoy my own company, not to meet someone.

But if you are single, some well-meaning married acquaintance at some point, has likely said something along these lines to you: “As soon as you’re not looking for it, that’s when love will show up right in front of you! When you least expect it!”

Am I right?

And as much as I have always enjoyed secretly rolling my eyes at such clichés, it turns out…they were right. At least in my case.

And after having had my share of forlorn nights on the couch, watching When Harry Met Sally with the dog, I finally came to a place in life where I honestly had no problem with my singleness. I discovered that my unattached state was an opportunity rather than purgatory, and I embraced my independence. I started packing my bags, and getting on the road whenever I could manage, and before long, it was my "attached" friends who were expressing envy to me. Who would have guessed it, but apparently a couple of kids, a spouse and a career don’t leave much room for travel in most people’s lives...

If you read my last post, you may recall the infamous Pub Crawl. As part of my newly-appreciated independence I had decided to step outside of my comfort zone and take some chances. Unbeknownst to me at the time, that impulsive decision to go on the Pub Crawl in Santa Monica with a few dozen strangers may yet turn out to be one of the most significant decisions I have ever made. Because on that pub crawl, while standing in line for the restroom, totally not expecting it… I met someone.

Now, being under the influence of 2 beers and a complimentary cotton-candy flavored shot of some kind, I was feeling very social and friendly. So when I first struck up a conversation with a guy in line for the bathrooms, I hadn’t yet notice his sweet smile. No. Of all things, I first noticed... a University of Georgia T-shirt.  As a southern girl in California, I felt an obligation under the rules of southern hospitality (as well as under the obligation of 2 beers and a cotton candy flavored shot!) to introduce myself as a fellow member of the South Eastern Conference…  (Go UK Wildcats!) But when he opened his mouth and responded, his accent was not the familiar southern drawl I anticipated. No… he was clearly much more “southern” than I ever would have guessed.

A photo from that first week in LA

He introduced himself as Ash from Queensland, Australia and explained that he’d been visiting some friends in Atlanta. And that was that. Some highly intoxicated girl (no doubt she'd had more than a few of those cotton candy shots) stumbled out of the ladies restroom leaving it unoccupied, and we parted ways. If he hadn’t found me later that night at one of the other pubs and insisted on getting my info, that would have been the end of the story... But he did!

The next morning he asked me on our first date to opening midnight showing of the final Harry Potter movie. (Which I ended up sleeping through most of because of some residual jet lag and having not yet adjusted to Pacific time, but that's a whole story on it's own...) Having no other plans and still living in the spirit of taking chances, I said yes! That spontaneity is one of the best parts of solo travel. Since there is rarely a set itinerary you can go with the flow. 

Out in Chermside, wearing the very shirt
that started it all!

After spending the week getting to know each other, we kept in touch through text messages, Facebook and Skype every day since and often two or three times a day. He came back to the US over the winter to visit me and we traveled through Texas, Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky together and now, here I am on my very first trip outside of North America!

I arrived in Queensland yesterday morning along with my big brother after a 5 hour flight from Cincinnati to LA, a 6 hour layover, and another 15 hours from LA to Brisbane. 

I slept through a good portion of my first 24 hours here, but I should have quite a bit more interesting info to share now that I have pushed past the jet lag! I promise, I won't leave you hanging for 10 months this time!