Wings of Independence

I didn't want to be limited to the occasional trip with family or friends. I needed more control over destination, time and dollars.

Enter Women Traveling Together (WTT).

Women Traveling Together is different from other tour companies; they have defined a niche market serving an appreciative clientele. The concept is simple: a small group of women with similar travel interests meet in a destination city, connect with a tour leader, board a custom WTT mini-coach and embark on adventure.

In my case, I met my California roommate at the Miami airport and shared a cab to our Coral Gables hotel where we were welcomed with a get-together and dinner.

Sharing a room is an appealing feature on any WTT trip; no more forced single supplement, unless you really want your own room, in which case they will accommodate you.

I recommend the roomie route, however. WTT matches women by age and interests as much as possible. You can connect via phone or email in advance of the trip, allowing plenty of time to work through rooming arrangements and concerns. Best of all, it throws you immediately into the social mix; you come to know your roommate before you physically meet.

Group dynamics were interesting to witness. The women became more familiar—joking, kidding, laughing—as the tour progressed. By week's end we were loathe to let each other go: hugs, promises of future trips, and e-mails.

The women were smart, well-educated, good conversationalists and well-traveled. Ages ranged from the 40s to the 70s. Some women worked full-time; others were retired. There were

divorcees and widows and, to my surprise, many were married, choosing to travel without their husbands. It proved to be an interesting mix.

Few of us were first-time travelers; most had traveled with WTT before and two women were logging their ninth tour!

Will I become a repeat traveler?

Absolutely.