While the author of the following article isn’t a retired, she does paint a positive picture of the world of traveling alone:
The unexpected benefits of traveling alone
By Andrea Sachs, The Washington Post
June 25, 2017
“On a May vacation in Nicaragua, Alison Peters often visited several panaderias after dinner, sampling not one but many desserts. She spent days wearing the same bathing suit coverup. And near the town of Granada, she lingered at Masaya, snapping selfie after selfie with the active volcano.
During her two-week journey abroad, she never once had to defend her decisions or discuss her choices. Because what the solo traveler wants, the solo traveler gets.
‘Traveling alone is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself,’ said the Washington-area law student. ‘You don’t have to be rational when you’re by yourself.’
Call it the All About Me trip.
These days, more travelers are venturing out into the world alone. According to the Visa Travel Intentions Study, which surveyed 13,603 adults in 25 countries, the number of people traveling solo doubled between 2013 and 2015.”