Guest Feature: Kathy Young Chats About Her Recent Adventures

If you’ve read our blog in the past, you may have heard the name “Kathy Young” before. She is a six-time guest known for her love of traveling “solo but not alone” with Odysseys. We’ve featured Kathy in our blog twice before – first in an interview about touring solo, followed by a guest blog she penned for us a few months later after returning from our Ancient Greece small group tour.

In the two years since her guest blog, Kathy has continued to travel with Odysseys, most recently embarking on Journey through Britain earlier this year. However, late last year, she enjoyed what has become arguably her most special Odysseys tour yet: a trip to France with her son and daughter-in-law. 

We recently caught up with Kathy to chat about her travels – scroll down to read our conversation.

Kathy on Journey through Britain earlier this year

Odysseys Unlimited: Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us today! Last time we spoke, you wrote a guest blog for us about your experience as a solo traveler on our Ancient Greece tour … what have you been up to since then? Lots of traveling, we presume?

Kathy Young: I am so thankful to have discovered Odysseys! Having a spouse who does not care to travel, I thought my first trip would be a “one and done” to try and satisfy my urge to explore. The idea of planning every detail seemed so overwhelming to me! I was certain I would get lost, be tired, stick out as a solo traveler … plenty of reasons not to take the plunge, but I knew I had to TRY. Needless to say, my “one and done” did not turn out as I had expected. I came home with a hunger to continue to experience these new countries and cultures.

While every trip has been incredible, some highlights of my Odysseys tours include:

• The medieval village of Les Baux and the multimedia/art exhibit in the old stone quarry. It absolutely stunned. I wandered in awe at the presentation.
• The red rock area we hiked in (photo of me and the kids) was an unbelievable find! The rest of the group was perusing the market and my son noticed a marker for a hiking trail and we were absolutely floored that this jaw-dropping site was just steps away.

• Orta San Giulio was so charming and I enjoyed many warm conversations with the locals.
• The Dolomites were why I chose the Northern Italy tour and I could have burst into tears when the clouds parted and we were treated to their breathtaking splendor. I just stood there and breathed deeply and savored every minute.
• I got literal goosebumps gazing upon Michelangelo’s  David and other works of the masters.

To know you are walking where so many influential artists and writers have trod is a heady experience – Van Gogh, Shakespeare, Dylan Thomas, William Wordsworth, Roman emperors … it just blows my mind that I have the opportunity to see and experience what these tours provide.

OU: In our March 2023 interview with you, you talked a lot about how you’re a solo travel aficionado, but we know that you had some special companions accompany you on tour last year. Who did you travel with? Can you tell us a bit about that experience?

KY: My trip to France in September 2024 was extra special – I turned 60 in 2023, so my son and his wife wanted to gift me something they knew would be especially meaningful. He said they wanted to spend more time with me and knew how much I love traveling with Odysseys, so they told me to decide where they would take me. I was shocked – and gently told them this was not going to be cheap (lol) and suggested we meet at a halfway point (we live about five hours apart) and have a trip within the US. He was very insistent, and so I poured over the catalog and we all loved the idea of Provence. I told them that this was their trip as much as mine and to not feel like we had to spend every waking moment together. During free time we would go our own ways for a few hours and then meet for lunch or dinner. They were by far the youngest on the tour and yet they charmed every one of the guests – definitely a proud mom moment!

OU: How was the experience of traveling with your son and daughter-in-law different from traveling solo?

KY: Traveling with the kids made an exceptional trip even richer! Being able to share the moments, the days, and create memories like we did continues to warm my heart. We still talk about the phenomenal dinner we prepared at the cooking class, and how the fresh figs here just do not compare to the ones we had in France.

OU: As a seasoned solo traveler, what advice would you give to someone considering taking their first small group tour by themselves? And what advice – if any – would you give to someone planning to take a small group tour with their adult children?

KY: For someone considering traveling solo, DO IT! I was shaking in my boots for my first trip – I was overwhelmed, and some days I just wanted to hide in my room when there was free time. I have learned SO MUCH about myself, and that not every “story” I have told myself about my abilities (or lack thereof) is necessarily true. Every day on tour, I learn I can figure something out by myself – or ask the amazing tour directors for advice. I even took my very first UBER in LONDON, of all places, thanks to some encouragement from our tour director Scott. I was able to go on a very meaningful side trip thanks to him – and I even made my way to the West End to see a production I will remember for the rest of my life. Fear or lack of confidence held me back for so much of my life, and now? Look out world! I can say with certainty that I would have never done this without Odysseys. 

I would encourage a solo traveler to pack light – I do carry-on only. Be brutal in taking the bare minimum and creating a capsule wardrobe. My bag on the way over to France weighed 17 pounds. If I find something wonderful that is liquid, etc., I can check it on the way back.

Don't be afraid to connect with fellow travelers. While I always assume they are there for their own reasons and celebrations and never want to impose, many, many of them will invite me to sit with them at breakfast, or attend a show, or meet them for lunch. I have met some lovely people, many of whom I keep in touch with to this day.

For travel with adult children, I think letting them know you do not have to be joined at the hip really goes a long way! One day, Aaron and Victoria spent the day on the beach while I went with the tour group on our scheduled day trip. Adult “children” are exactly that: adults. Don't hover or try to inject yourself into their dreams of these trips. Take time before the trip to discuss expectations about how much time you are planning on being together.

Know that while you might share many interests, giving each person the freedom to seek out their own interests is important. Time is so valuable and you don't want anyone to have regrets or be resentful if they were not able to see or do something that they hoped to experience.

OU: Looking ahead, we see that you have Pearls of Dalmatia reserved for next year. What attracted you to that tour? And what are some other Odysseys tours you hope to take in the years to come?

KY: I am so excited about my Pearls of Dalmatia trip! Croatia has been on my radar for years. A friend of my eldest son works for six months then backpacks around the world for six months. When he was sharing stories of some of his adventures with us, I asked if he had a favorite place, and he immediately said Croatia and then shared why he thought I would love it as well. When people ask if I have a bucket list or dream destination, they are surprised when I say no. I try to travel in the shoulder season. I look at the flight times (coming from the West Coast means a long travel day compared to those on the East Coast) and I look at the single supplement, as well. I look at the weather because I do not do well in the higher temps.

Several trips I am looking at in the coming year or two include Southern Italy & Sicily, Journey through Central Europe, Paradores & Pousadas … but it really comes down to me looking at what I mention above – whichever trip checks those boxes is where I will head to next. Going with an open heart and open mind and telling myself I will have the best time ever is my recipe for having exactly that!

Interested in following in Kathy’s footsteps by joining an Odysseys tour? Simply submit an online reservation request or call us at 1-888-370-6765 and one of our Travel Counselors will be happy to assist you.