It’s not only a certain make of batteries that go on and on and on! A singles holiday for the over 50s can have the same effect as a power pack!

In life we all travel solo. To return to the cliché we arrive alone and will leave in the same fashion. With the super fast world of interconnectivity however it becomes more and more difficult to retain autonomy. It always seems we are all on call 24/7. The concept of being solo, alone, unattached to any person or device is becoming more unusual.

Therefore in this fast-paced communicative and demanding world isn’t it time we all took ourselves off for some solo travel? You might even argue that being solo doesn’t necessarily mean solitary at all. There are days when I see no one but I am in constant contact with colleagues and friends by Skype, phone or email.

Being alone can now be a choice. Forget all the bonhomie, Auld Langsyne malarkey. We are not all destined to make New Year a time for frozen sausage rolls, a quick white wine in front of Jools Holland on the TV and a perfunctory kiss at midnight. This does not have to be foisted on us. Were you aware that it’s actually lack of choice and control that causes people significant stress in their lives. In studies it has been demonstrated time and again that happiness comes from choice and a feelings of autonomy. All the more reason to make a conscious decision to take yourself off and travel solo, even try a singles holiday for the over 50s and why not ring the changes this New year by travelling to Italy? There’s radical!

Consider this, in 2013 if you live in the European Union your life expectancy is on average 83 years of age. It’s a challenging and exciting thought. There was a time when being 50 was considered old and you were consigned to a rocking chair with knitting, memories or both. More of us are not prepared to accept the inevitable and want to postpone creaking and groaning for as long as possible.

Exercise, new experiences, travel and meeting new people keep us feeling young and energized, even if the external furniture could do with a little renovation. So, where to go and what to do should be the questions we ask? 

Why not spend New Year in Italy or even further afield if the mood takes?

In fact you would seriously not be alone if you asked those questions and many companies are aware of trends. Singles holidays for the over 50s are transforming and a cooking holiday in Italy might be on the menu alongside learning to dive, paint or learn Pilates Tuscany, the Bahamas or the UK.

So if you are thinking of taking a break from work, from relationships, from family demands then what better than to do it solo. That doesn’t mean you are destined to spend a week miserably watching other people having fun. Oh no! If you have a passion for something specific like art history, archaeology or cookery holidays in Italy or anywhere in the world there is a holiday with your name penciled into its itinerary.

You may come home with a skill but you will have gained something far more like that feeling of freedom, which we all need from time to time. You can make choices and know the day is yours to do with as you please. Being independent and pursuing things that really mean a lot, without compromise, is invigorating and you will be surprised at how much confidence it can instill. Look, there are plenty of singles holidays for the over 50s so why not check them out?

It can sound clichéd when someone says they want to find themselves, but that aside, when people reach middle age it is often the right opportunity to say, what happens next? What do I want to be? What wishes still require fulfillment? If not now then when we have to ask? New Year seems exactly the right time to set the blueprint for the following twelve months.

Travelling solo doesn’t have to be about fleeing or running away. Yes, things in life can be damaging or painful. A divorce a relationship breakdown or bereavement can be very testing. Yet the decision to travel solo or take a singles holiday for the over 50s. It can put back so much of what has been lost. People cannot be replaced but experiences can help build a more rewarding future. The future does not have to be a mystery, we can start forging it right now and the New Year in Italy might well be just the golden ticket.

So if you are toying with the idea of spending time away from the everyday you] might be quite surprised to know that people have said a trip away alone has transformed them. Look forward to returning feeling less stressed, have new ideas and perspectives, use some of your new-found time and energy positively and change the way people view you. If we are always there people often take us for granted. It’s time to strike out; the whole world is waiting for you. Begin 2015 as you mean to go on and on and on!