How (and Why) I Stopped Waiting for Others and Started Traveling Alone
Solo adventure sounds exciting, but it’s also scary. Like most people, I have traveled most of my travels with friends and family. This was until I realized that I have places where I would like to go, and no one wanted to go with me. I chose myself because my desire to continue the journey was greater than my fear of being alone.
Why did I decide to go alone
Every time I traveled alone, I always thought of a particular destination. On my last solo trip, it took me about a month to realize that I was sitting around waiting for someone else to come with me, but no one I asked for could go when I wanted to. All of my friends had work commitments or needed more time to save up for the trip. I didn’t want to wait any longer because I wanted to get to Hawaii before the busy season began.
Don’t wait as long as I do. If you have something on your mind and can’t find anyone to go with, take the plunge. Once you’ve made the decision to go it alone, you can start planning your awesome solo adventure . Think about everything you would normally do when planning a great trip: accommodation, travel arrangements, food, activities, safety. However, the nice thing is that you can choose exactly what you want. One of the best things about solo travel is that you don’t have to compromise with others on what they want from the experience.
Find the right accommodation and activities for you
As you plan your trip, you will start to worry. Roll with it! I have found that waiting for your plans is one of the most effective ways to get rid of the fear that solitary travel often inspires.
Pick a great place to start. Think about the place you’ve always wanted to go. For example, I ended up on a solo trip to Honolulu because I wanted to return to an oasis in Hawaii – and I wanted to do so before the busy season began. Once you are settled in your seat, figure out how you will get there and where you will stay.
I personally recommend trying Airbnb and other similar services because you will experience the local lifestyle and be able to meet locals (like your hosts) and other travelers. Since you are traveling alone, housing that gives you the ability to connect with others helps you feel as if you are not. Unlike when you are traveling with others, I do not recommend that you book entirely for yourself. Look for rentals or hostels that offer shared dorms or will host multiple travelers at once. You lose some privacy, but it’s worth it to get the opportunity to open up to new people and get to know them a little. The hosts and other travelers are generally quite friendly, so you can get advice from them on what to do – last minute itinerary changes can be fun!
Once you’ve locked yourself in your sleeping area, research the activities and events you want to do. You should find a good mix of activities that you can do on your own and with others (such as a travel group or activity) so that you can talk to other travelers. You may be surprised to find out how many others travel alone. On a recent solo trip, I took a free tour of the art museum and most of the other people in the group were on their own as well, allowing us to enjoy it together. Of course, you also want to be on your own, so plan some activities that you can do on your own, such as visiting a flea market, visiting a museum or local historic site, or just taking a walk. You don’t have to make a strict itinerary – after all, you can do whatever you want, whenever you want!
Set financial goals for yourself to save up for your trip . The main benefit of traveling alone is that you can be as careful or wasteful of your expenses as you like, since you don’t have to compromise with anyone on the cost of activities or food. If all you wanted to do was eat peanut butter sandwiches and take long (free) hikes, you could. On the other hand, you can spend as much as you can afford without feeling guilty about forcing others to spend too. If you wanted to go to the museum for $ 40, you could. The problem, however, is that if you don’t join the tour , you won’t be able to share the cost of tours, activities, travel, food, or lodging with anyone else. Since you will have to cover most of the costs yourself, you will need to save more than you would on a group trip or stick to more individual activities.
Even if you go alone, you can still talk to your friends and family about it. Discard ideas from others while you are planning. They may have great recommendations or suggestions.
Ensure your safety as a lone traveler
While you shouldn’t let safety concerns completely diminish your travel cravings, you should take that into account when choosing your destination. Do your research before booking your trip to make sure your destination is suitable for solo travel. Earlier, we discussed a few things you can do to stay safe as a lone traveler :
- Learn basic self-defense techniques . You can check out our guide or inquire if there are any classes at your local women’s center or college campus.
- Check out the types of scams common in your destination .
- Be aware of your surroundings, the local customs (not to offend anyone) and that , as you yourself represent .
- Tell family and friends about your itinerary . Keep them informed throughout the trip so they know where you are and what you are doing.
- Always carry your essentials with you in case you need to make a quick escape. This includes enough money for a taxi, a phone card, your ID, and contact information for your accommodation.
- Learn a few useful phrases in the local language, such as help, hurt, doctor, and hospital.
- If you’re dating someone you trust, be sure to get their emergency contact information.
- If you are in another country, know where the embassy is located and roughly how to get there from the areas where you will be spending most of your time.
- Choose your arrival and departure times during daylight hours (especially if you will be lugging a large suitcase with you) to try to avoid meeting anyone who wants to steal your belongings. Plus, arriving and moving to your place of residence at night will make you feel safer.
Solo adventure offers you a sense of freedom in many ways, but you need to be safe.
Get ready for homesickness
Even if you enjoy being alone, at some point in your trip you will likely become lonely or homesick. Accept these feelings instead of pushing them away. Prepare yourself mentally to deal with them. Then focus on the positives of your solo journey. Think about why you wanted to travel and how you expand your options. Realize that you have created an opportunity to enjoy life at your own pace.
Before you leave, be aware that some parts of your trip are going to be really bizarre. One of the most common is eating out. I almost never do this at home, but when traveling alone, you end up eating quite a lot alone. Of course, what may seem strange varies from person to person, but until I went to Lisbon alone, I never realized how fast you can eat when you are alone. Rick Steves provides some great advice for singles:
If you’re walking alone, consider alternatives to a formal dinner. Try a self-service café, local-style fast food restaurant, or a small ethnic diner. Visit the deli in the supermarket and have a picnic in the square or in the park. Grab a slice of pizza from a take-out store and munch on it while walking, people-watching, and window-shopping. Eat in the kitchen of the dormitory members; you will always have companions. Do it for lunch.
Take time to enjoy these lonely pursuits – bring a book to read or a diary to write on. If you want to combat feelings like anxiety or loneliness, there are many ways to meet people while traveling .
Share your trip so you don’t feel lonely
Even if you are traveling alone, you can still stay connected . Send photos and videos to friends and family to say hello and show them what you are up to. You can even follow the regular mail route and send postcards. Of course, you can always share your trip on social media, but don’t worry about that. After all, you’re on vacation when others get stuck at work or school!
You can also share your experiences by purchasing souvenirs for everyone who returned home. Show them what you thought of them during the trip. If you’re lucky, you pass them on a bit of travel hassle. Keep in mind, however, that not everyone will react to your travel stories with the same enthusiasm you got during your trip. They weren’t there, so it’s hard for them to connect at your level.
Finally, document your experience. You will be able to make recommendations when people ask about it in the future. One of my favorite things I can talk to other people about is where they plan to go and share their suggestions. Making someone else’s trip a little more interesting with inside information is always great!
Solo travel isn’t for everyone, but you should at least give it a try . You will have the opportunity to fully accept your interests and engage in self-reflection. Remember, walking alone is okay.