This context is pretty sad for me, but I'll probably be going on a ten-day vacation to Mexico by myself in a few weeks. My husband and I planned it as an anniversary trip several months ago, and I've really been looking forward to it. Most of the largest expenses have already been paid and are non-refundable, and I really need a break from my high-stress job.
However, several events have intervened since then, and I am pretty sure that my husband and I will end up separated. He doesn't want to go on the trip - it makes him too sad. I don't want my marriage to end, but I see why he does.
In the meantime, it looks like I'll be traveling by myself. I don't want to invite any one else to go with me, because a) what a bummer would I be as a travel companion, and b) I want him to stay invited in case he changes his mind and wants to go with me.
Does anyone have ideas for making friends while solo traveling? I'll be staying at a boutique hotel with only 8-10 small beach houses and a single area for food, so I will likely meet fellow hotel stay-ers. I have signed up for a three-hour Spanish class each day, and the Spanish school has optional group activities in the afternoons, so I'll probably go to more of those than I would have with my husband for some socialization. I don't need to be in constant contact with other people, but it would help to not feel so lonely and sad if I could make some at least short-term acquaintances while I'm gone. On prior trips I've taken with my girlfriends, I've made day-friends with some solo travelers and it didn't feel awkward from my perspective.
Thoughts? I know it seems silly to focus on this short-term period of time while I'm staring down a lifetime without the person I thought I would spend it with, but it seems like the next big thing I have to deal with. And I'd rather think about this than how to handle Christmas with my family and their questions (thank goodness we had already planned to not go home for Thanksgiving).