Last year I turned 43. Not long after, my mum was diagnosed with myeloma , a rare and incurable blood cancer. My life was turned upside down and it hit home that life is short.
Something had to change. I wanted to travel, but I realised that waiting for a honeymoon wasn’t the way forward. I’ve always travelled with mum.
Growing up, my dad was fairly strict – he would worry about me going out alone or with friends in west London. As an adult, the thought of travelling alone filled me with fear. Read Next The cheaper and quieter way to see Japan's Mount Fuji However, after my mum’s diagnosis, I wasn’t in a good place.
I’ve been single since getting divorced 15 years ago and I was lonely, with all my friends married with children. I’m also an unemployed, unpaid carer having sacrificed my career to take care of my mum. I felt stuck.
In the Asian community, boys are given the freedom to do what they like, but girls are more limited. I decided it was time I took things into my own hands and booked a solo trip with the small group adventure tour operator Intrepid . I wanted to get out into the world and make friends.
Having looked first at Bali, I ended up choosing Sri Lanka , which seemed to be safe, beautiful, interesting and with lots of delicious, spicy food. As soon as I landed in the capital Colombo, it felt like home – a milder version of India where I have family. I jumped in a taxi to my seafront hotel where I was greeted with a glass of fresh guava juice.
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