Travelling Solo
I travelled to Spain and Portugal solo, without any of my friends and without booking any pre-packaged tour. I left with my overstuffed backpack, my wits intact, a couple of hostels and airlines booked and the rest of my journey unplanned.
Now why would I want to do that? Wouldn’t I feel lonely on the road? Isn’t it dangerous to travel alone as a female? Isn’t backpacking for dirty hippies and vagabonds? Wasn’t I afraid of what my parents might say? Indian girls travelling alone – now that’s something for Auntie Ji to gossip about.
One of the first excuses I hear from people who would like to travel is “I don’t have someone to travel with.” It’s okay, neither did I. As we get older, schedules with friends don’t always work out, but that shouldn’t stop you from following your dream. I met so many people while travelling that I can only count one instance where I ate dinner alone in my three weeks of travel in Europe. If I can do it, so can you.
What to Expect on Your First Solo Trip
Social Hostels
Stay in hostels if you’re travelling alone as they are very social places to meet people. If you book hotels, it’s a lot tougher as they tend to be venues where people socialize less. Yes, hostels will have lots of young twenty year olds, but I also met professionals in their thirties and forties taking a break from their career.[title]New People[/title]
When travelling alone, you are forced to meet new people and to get out of your comfort zone. You’ll find people are generally friendly, curious and ready to have a beer with a stranger. Extend your hand, give a warm smile and away you go! In the picture above, while travelling from Spain to Portugal, I met some wonderful new friends. By happenstance, we were travelling to the same hostel and all solo travellers.
Make Your Own Schedule
By travelling solo, you make up your own schedule and you only answer to yourself. Have you gone on trips with friends and realize by the end of it no one is talking to each other? When I travelled alone I was able to observe other groups of friends and at times there were tensions and drama as not everyone agreed on where to go next, where to eat, whether to stay in or go out. As a solo traveller you meet new people, but you’re not obliged to follow their plans.
Eating Alone
If you do find yourself eating dinner alone, don’t fret. I know it can be awkward at times, similar to watching a movie alone in the theatre or sitting at a pub by yourself, but by bringing along a journal, book and some electronics, you’ll be comfortable in no time. Great time to ask the waiter some questions about the city and to reflect on your travels thus far. I did just that one evening in Valencia, Spain – eating seafood paella on a patio in the main square. Alone, but not lonely.
Independence
Travelling alone is a very personal experience and helps build your inner strength and challenges you in so many ways. From navigating streets, to understanding a new language through hand gestures, to finding out the bus you wanted to hop on is no longer running, and your hostel is now overbooked. By overcoming challenges, being flexible and on your own, you come out the other end a much stronger, independent person – transforming and learning as you go.
Have you travelled solo before? What are some of your tips? Leave your comments below!
Photo Credit: JD
