How do we keep a planned solo holiday solo when a friend wants to join?
Travel“I can get the same train and book my own room,” Jules says. “You won't have to change a thing.”
Dina looks at the notebook where she has written “four days on my own” above her Ghent booking details. This is the first trip she has planned without coordinating meals, starts or interests with anybody else. She wants to spend one afternoon reading by the water if that is what she feels like doing.
Jules has recently had a difficult month and thinks they would be good company for each other. Dina said she was excited about the trip, then answered several questions about the dates and hotel. She did not mean it as an invitation, but can see why the conversation sounded open.
What would be a kind, clear way to explain that companionship would change this particular holiday? Dina wants to keep the friendship without promising to share every day or quietly hoping Jules fails to find a room.