St. Maarten Respite

So this fall, I decided to do something a bit different.


It's been a stressful year and a half, I first have to say. With the loss of my mom and subsequent settling of her estate, combined with working a ton, I realized that I needed a vacation.


This seems at face value a very easy thing to accomplish. The problem is, when you're single, it's really hard to find other people to accompany you in travel. I spent many months trying to decide where to go, and who to go with. Having gone with friends previously and having loved every minute of it, it's pretty hard to find a place where you can all agree, and still be able to afford it at the same time.


Running out of time in the year, and still needing to take vacation time, I decided to do something that I have NEVER done previously: to vacation alone.


You hear a lot of people online say that they've done it before, and that they absolutely love it. Having been on organized tours with people that have gone solo, I had the preconception that it would be something that I could never ever do. But realizing my limitations in time and in companion options, I decided that if I want to travel, I may just have it along.


For several months, I spent a lot of time researching different places, listing pros and cons to each choice, and reading countless online reviews. After hesitating to pull the trigger, I must have been caught at a weak moment when I hit "send" and booked an all-inclusive vacation. After throwing up a bit, and saying to myself "what the hell have you just done," I realized I was committed.


It was an all inclusive vacation to the island of St. Maarten, at the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort and Casino. It had good reviews on the whole, and was located in an interesting spot: right next to the international airport, and a beach that abuts the runway.


For the next two months after I booked the trip, I counted down the days, some days thinking "what the hell did i do?" Other days, "get me the hell out of here." And when the day arrived prior to my departure, I stressed for most of the day thinking, "what the hell am I doing to do," or "what if I'm bored," or "what if I hate every minute?"


After exhausting the what-ifs and trying to find all of the necessary items for my vacation: passport, cash, credit card, driver's license, swimsuit, sunscreen, and basic clothing, I stayed up the entire evening since my flight left Saturday morning, November 24, 2012 at 6 a.m. from O'Hare.


And on my way I was!