Travelling on your own can be a wonderful experience, but we know that taking that first step isn't always easy. Will you get along with the other guests? Will you feel comfortable in the group? And what if you've never travelled alone before?
We know these are questions that some of our guests have before booking a retreat, so we thought, who better to ask than someone who has experienced it herself?
We asked Annie, who joined our textile art retreats with Cas Holmes, a few questions about travelling solo. We wanted to know what encouraged her to travel independently, whether she had any worries before joining us and what her experience was really like.
Annie kindly shared her thoughts with us, along with a little humour and some lovely stories about the friendships she made along the way.
Here's what she had to say!
Even experienced solo travellers have worries
Annie was no stranger to travelling independently before joining us, but that didn't mean she arrived without a few concerns.
As she explained, there are always those little questions in the back of your mind:
“Will I get on with the other course participants? Will my skills be ‘good enough’? Will all the travel arrangements work out?”
And we think that's something many of us can relate to!
For Annie, travelling independently was partly about following her own interests. While she has friends at home, not all of them share her love of crafts and textile art.
Rather than missing out on an experience she was excited about, she decided to go anyway.
And that's one of the loveliest things about a creative retreat: you don't need to find someone to travel with who shares your passion. You will meet people who already do.
Having something in common from the beginning
One of the biggest questions we hear from people considering travelling alone is whether they will find it easy to make friends.
After all, joining a group of people you have never met can feel a little daunting.
But when everyone arrives with a shared interest in embroidery, lacemaking or textile art, there's already something wonderful to talk about.
For Annie, that common ground made a real difference.
“A shared interest is important and there's bound to be someone you really get on with right away.”
Whether you are admiring someone's stitching, exchanging ideas over a workshop table or chatting about your latest project over dinner, conversations often begin quite naturally.
And sometimes, those connections continue long after the retreat has finished.
Annie is still friends with Jackie, whom she met on the retreat, and the two are even planning a trip to China together next year!
We love hearing stories like this. What began as a creative holiday has turned into a friendship and a whole new adventure.
The pleasure of doing something just for yourself
We also asked Annie what she enjoyed most about travelling on her own.
Her answer made us laugh!
“Not having to sleep with a snoring grumpy husband!”
But behind the humour was something that probably resonates with quite a few people: the pleasure of not always having to think about everybody else's needs.
For many women, holidays can still involve a surprising amount of organising, planning and making sure everyone else is happy.
Travelling independently gives you the opportunity to choose something entirely for yourself.
For Annie, the opportunity to learn from Cas Holmes was a big attraction. Cas is a well-known and respected textile artist whose work she admired, and the retreat offered the chance to learn from her while visiting a destination she wanted to explore.
No need to compromise on the destination or the activities. Just the opportunity to spend time doing something she genuinely enjoys.
Feeling looked after makes all the difference
Even if you are comfortable travelling alone, there are always practical things to think about.
What happens if a flight is delayed? Who do you contact if something goes wrong? How will the week be organised?
Annie told us that having plenty of information before the trip made a real difference.
The detailed itinerary, emergency contact numbers and travel information all helped her feel more confident about coming along.
But she also described something that we found particularly touching.
With her background in therapy, Annie spoke about the idea of feeling “held” by the people organising the experience.
“You feel very looked after... and that was certainly the case.”
We really liked that description. Because while a creative retreat is about learning, travelling and enjoying yourself, there's also something reassuring about knowing that somebody else has thought through the details.
You can enjoy your independence while knowing that the team is there if you need anything.
And what about meeting everyone?
For some people, the idea of walking into a room full of strangers is more worrying than the journey itself.
We asked Annie whether she found it easy to meet people and feel part of the group.
“The welcome drinks and dinners make socialising easy.”
It's such a simple thing, but sitting down together over a drink or a meal gives everyone a chance to introduce themselves and begin chatting.
And by the time you've spent a few days working alongside one another, sharing ideas, stories and probably a few laughs, those unfamiliar faces start to feel much more familiar.
There's no need to force friendships or be the most outgoing person in the room.
Sometimes all it takes is sitting next to someone who loves the same things you do.
And, as Annie and Jackie have shown, you never quite know where those conversations might lead.
Thinking about joining a creative retreat on your own?
If you've been looking at one of our retreats but aren't quite sure about booking without a friend, we hope Annie's experience offers a little reassurance.
You don't need to be an experienced solo traveller, know anyone in advance or be the most accomplished stitcher in the room.
What matters is your enthusiasm for learning, creating and discovering somewhere new.
A creative retreat brings together people who share something special, whether that's embroidery, textile art, lacemaking or simply the pleasure of making things by hand.
And who knows? You might arrive on your own and leave with a whole new circle of creative friends.
Your next creative adventure might be closer than you think.
Explore our upcoming creative retreats at www.creative-experiences.com and find somewhere you'd love to go.
With special thanks to Annie B. for sharing her experience and reminding us that some of the loveliest friendships begin when we step outside our comfort zone.