On Mallorca and being an SFT: 

 I have been here on the island for some 5 days now, 3 spent in Palma de Mallorca, one in Soller, and one in Deia.  I am concluding my 20 day stint of travelling alone, as an SFT (single female traveller as Rachel coined it), through Switzerland, Portugal, and now Mallorca, and I have had many lovely times, as well as some lonely ones. 

Time here on the island of Mallorca has had strange qualities, sometimes rushing past in great bursts, other times very slowly. Of the times that have rushed by, they have all been amazing.  In beautiful, rushing, cosmopolitan Palma, the yachts are afloat and I enjoyed myself by napping in a park in the sunshine on cushy grass, making friends with all of the Australians and Kiwis that habitate outside of Oceania, running through parks of wildflowers up to ancient castles, and stealthily searching for WC´s not generally available to the public (a new favorite passtime).  In Deia I enjoyed exploring lost beaches covered in rocks (and tourists),  and scrambling through the village made of stones hundreds of years ago, unchanged for the most part.  Soller was filled with rain, but I still enjoyed some soggy trekking through fields and fields of flowering lemon and orange trees.  

Other times have been lonely, in single rooms in mostly empty hostels, with no one to speak English with,  accompanied with my book of the moment (Lolita, would recommend to a friend with a temperament for twistedness and a torrid trysts, like Matt, not AL) .  I have had the full range of experiences that a solo traveller would have.  I have enjoyed days upon days of leisure on my schedule, waking, walking, and doing what and when I please.  I have made friends that I wouldn´t have otherwise, and noticed minute details that would have remained undiscovered had I been more absorbed in my travel mates.  I have also had the loneliness bug a bit, craving someone who I could speak to on a deeper level than is normal after an hour or so of conversation with a new single serving friend.  Overall though, times are good when travelling alone, and my conclusion is that everyone should at least try it.  It will put you outside your comfort zone, make you more social, more creative with amusement activities, and will allow you plenty of time to relax and reflect.  Moreover, you can cultivate your relationship with your ipod and journal, your new best friends. 

Despite the glories of solo time, however, there is something significant to be said about having company.  Good times and beautiful places are even more wonderful when shared with someone wonderful, and with that thought in mind, I am excited to go see my friends in the near future: Nate in Barcelona (tomorrow!), Lauren in Aix en Provence, and Katie in Firenze.  I am sure the adventures will be in full swing within 24 hours, and hopefully I can stop the dreaded curse of the foul weather that I bring with me to each new place :). 

 A quick note: when I learn how to work my blog, I intend to make a links page. Until then, I encourage you to look at the blogs of some other solo travelers that I have met along the way.

1. Infamously wonderful Rachel: http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Rachel-Conquers-Europe/

2. Running Buddy Matthew: http://kiwihobbit.blogspot.com/

3. Sledding Amigo Evan: http://evaninprague.blogspot.com/