Really cool pics, Lexie, thanks for sharing! I think I've read that there are some lighthouses where people can volunteer to be the keeper for a month or a season, and I've often thought that could be pretty cool.
Actually, a quick search turned up this site:
Volunteer Programs at Lake Michigan Lighthouses These are on the Great Lakes, not on the ocean like where you are, but still doubtless pretty cool.
There really is something totally awesome about traveling by yourself. When you don't have someone with you as your "security blanket" you're much more likely to have interesting conversations with strangers, I've found.
This is so true--I don't actually "travel" much in the way that you do, but I find that even if I'm out at a farmer's market or doing errands, if I'm by myself, I talk to the people I encounter. If I'm with someone, I spend much less time interacting with the folks I meet out and about and much more time chatting with the person I'm with. Nothing wrong with that, I guess, but you get 2 different experiences depending on which way you do things, no doubt about it.
Hope your good memories keep you from having too many "vacation's over" blues!