Travelling Solo
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Some of you may know that I spend a few days in Valencia about a month ago, but instead of travelling with friends or family, I decided to go at it alone. Travelling alone is something that intrigues many, but also something that many people never get around to doing. For me, Valencia was the first time I had actually gone on holiday on my own, but after living abroad for the best part of a year, I already had a feel for what it involved and how to make it in a foreign country on my own. I think that many find the whole idea daunting, but today I plan to put your mind at ease and introduce the immense benefits of travelling solo...
Don't you get lonely?
I think for a lot of people, being lonely is a big factor that puts them off of travelling solo, but learning to identify the difference between being alone and being lonely is really important. As a classic introvert, I think travelling on my own or even just being on my own is generally easier for me, but that doesn't mean that an extrovert can't get a lot out of travelling alone. No, there won't be your best friend or your mum sitting next to you at the bar, but there are ways to combat boredom. Extroverted? Start a conversation with a random stranger (which will really help your language skills if that's a goal of yours) or take part in a local class or event. More introverted? Keep your Kindle or a good book at hand for those quieter meal times or concentrate on getting some really great snaps of your trip. I'm not going to lie to you, there is a high chance that you will feel a tad lonely at some point - but that's part of the challenge! Learning to overcome that obstacle (amongst others) is part of what makes travelling solo so important - you have the opportunity to grow.
How do you keep busy?
Planning your days out is key to a successful trip in my eyes, but even more so when you're going at it alone. I don't mean to say that you need to strictly timetable your day down to the minute, but researching a few activities to do each day before hand can really help you to get the most out of your time away. Solo trips need to be fairly busy to keep yourself from getting bored in my experience, but make sure to go with the flow as well so that you don't miss out on anything that your location has to offer. In my opinion, the worst thing you can do whilst away is waste time doing things that you usually do at home - it would have been a lot cheaper to stay there - so before you get there, list activities you want to do, sights you want to see, and places you want to visit so that you have some sort of structure without locking yourself down to a tight schedule. Keeping busy will keep you from feeling alone, so get researching!
Why is travelling alone so beneficial?
For me, travelling solo is just a small taster of what my year living abroad was, but if you haven't had the opportunity to do that, then this is a great way to push yourself outside your comfort zone. You can honestly learn so much about yourself and learn how to get by on your own in a foreign country in a matter of days, and for me, that is invaluable. I truly believe that anything that scares us will make us stronger, and I think that this is the case for many when it comes to travelling on their own. Can you imagine how terrified I was to move to Russia? Yet here I am, more than a year later and I honestly think that I came back from the experience a whole lot stronger and more knowledgeable as a person, so I wouldn't change that experience for anything, no matter how difficult it may have been at times. I was in Russia for a hell of a lot longer than a long weekend, but whether it's four months or four days, the first time you go abroad alone you learn an awful lot. In short, you'll gain an amazing sense of freedom because you get to make your own rules, and a lot of confidence from being able to navigate a foreign environment. So, although it may sound daunting - it'll be more than worth it.
Don't you get lonely?
I think for a lot of people, being lonely is a big factor that puts them off of travelling solo, but learning to identify the difference between being alone and being lonely is really important. As a classic introvert, I think travelling on my own or even just being on my own is generally easier for me, but that doesn't mean that an extrovert can't get a lot out of travelling alone. No, there won't be your best friend or your mum sitting next to you at the bar, but there are ways to combat boredom. Extroverted? Start a conversation with a random stranger (which will really help your language skills if that's a goal of yours) or take part in a local class or event. More introverted? Keep your Kindle or a good book at hand for those quieter meal times or concentrate on getting some really great snaps of your trip. I'm not going to lie to you, there is a high chance that you will feel a tad lonely at some point - but that's part of the challenge! Learning to overcome that obstacle (amongst others) is part of what makes travelling solo so important - you have the opportunity to grow.
How do you keep busy?
Planning your days out is key to a successful trip in my eyes, but even more so when you're going at it alone. I don't mean to say that you need to strictly timetable your day down to the minute, but researching a few activities to do each day before hand can really help you to get the most out of your time away. Solo trips need to be fairly busy to keep yourself from getting bored in my experience, but make sure to go with the flow as well so that you don't miss out on anything that your location has to offer. In my opinion, the worst thing you can do whilst away is waste time doing things that you usually do at home - it would have been a lot cheaper to stay there - so before you get there, list activities you want to do, sights you want to see, and places you want to visit so that you have some sort of structure without locking yourself down to a tight schedule. Keeping busy will keep you from feeling alone, so get researching!
Why is travelling alone so beneficial?
For me, travelling solo is just a small taster of what my year living abroad was, but if you haven't had the opportunity to do that, then this is a great way to push yourself outside your comfort zone. You can honestly learn so much about yourself and learn how to get by on your own in a foreign country in a matter of days, and for me, that is invaluable. I truly believe that anything that scares us will make us stronger, and I think that this is the case for many when it comes to travelling on their own. Can you imagine how terrified I was to move to Russia? Yet here I am, more than a year later and I honestly think that I came back from the experience a whole lot stronger and more knowledgeable as a person, so I wouldn't change that experience for anything, no matter how difficult it may have been at times. I was in Russia for a hell of a lot longer than a long weekend, but whether it's four months or four days, the first time you go abroad alone you learn an awful lot. In short, you'll gain an amazing sense of freedom because you get to make your own rules, and a lot of confidence from being able to navigate a foreign environment. So, although it may sound daunting - it'll be more than worth it.
