The Lone Traveller Lifestyle

My first steps alone were terrifying. You always feel stronger when a friend is wandering with you. When you’re a lone traveller though, nobody is there to help [or hinder] your choices. It’s a crash course in learning to trust your gut instinct.

On my way to Canoa, I sparked up a conversation with the only other backpacker on the bus. Hours later, late at night and in a unfamiliar place we decided to share a rundown room in a bad part of town. Crazy! In 3 hours’ time, I had made a new friend. I wasn’t alone anymore. and while I guess it would be different if I were taking the subway to Chatelet in Paris, this kind of thing plays out again and again as a lone traveller.

Life on the road and life at home are two completely different things. You can’t compare them. Your fear of solo travel is unfounded. You simply need to change your frame of reference. Because you’re sharing the same values, curiosities, experiences, and inspiration you’ll bond 10x faster than you would at home.

Traveling alone is the alternation between short but intense adventures and quiet periods of relaxation. its everything you could ask for as a lone traveller! We learn to appreciate the moments when we’re alone. We learn and accept ourselves, and suddenly, the silence following us is not awkward anymore.

My advice to would be solo travellers would be to stop being scared of something you have no experience with. Go out, spend your money on the road, make new friends and experience new cultures. There is nothing quite like the school of life.

Travelling solo is my preferred method of travel and I do so as compared to other modes of travel. I plan solo trips to mountains, places of natural interest and other offbeat destinations. The advantages of planning solo trips are expenditure, money savings and freedom. I feel that you can save some money if you travel solo rather than travelling with a friend or a close relative. I believe that we have our own freedom travelling alone as there is no other person to interfere in the trip and plan the journey as per your own convenience.

There are some disadvantages as well if you plan these trips with a close relative or friend. You need to manage and be cautious with every other stuffs like managing your baggage, belongings and extra security. There is also no one to back you up during the trip if you fall sick or become unconscious. But despite the disadvantages I feel that travelling solo is the strength of most people and individuals.

The safety concern, being more of a target for would be criminals if you’re by yourself. An element of truth is found here. The bigger idea is to remember you must always be vigilant, in groups or solo. Realistically, countless people travel solo all the time, and very little crime befalls them. As long as you use your street smarts to stay out of certain areas and situations, you’ll be fine.

Loneliness can be overcome by knowing you’ll be sharing experiences with other travelers, usually other solo travelers. And for those times when you are alone, embrace the solitude of the moment. This is where the biggest learning lessons come from.

The word recreation is usually thought about as leisure. But if you really look at the word you can see it means re-creation. Traveling solo is true re-creation. Your person turns into something new through all your experiences. Getting lost, not speaking the language, being forced to talk to others, being forced to meet others, and trying new things is the definition of re-creation.

And just like anything else worth doing in life, traveling solo can be hard. But that’s what makes it memorable. You’re traveling for you, so make it the most potent life-changing moment and travel solo and discover what you’re really made of.

I have literally just packed my bag and gone to the nearest airport after waking up and deciding that was what was best for me at that moment in time. For me being a lone traveller gives you the sense and ability to just travel the way that is right for you, without worrying about anyone else. 

Equally “travelling solo” doesn’t mean you’re ever truly alone. You can choose when you want to be social, and when you want some time on your own. I arrived in Indonesia all by myself and spent 2.5 months there. However, looking back at photos and videos you would never ever believe I was there “alone”. 

I once took an amazing 4-day boat cruise to Flores and Komodo Islands in Indonesia. On the boat, there were 27 other backpackers, many of them I still keep in touch with today. A lot of those on the boat were lone travellers too, and I found it made them more approachable, easy going and sociable. It may sound daunting being part of a boat load of strangers, but you soon start to realise they’re pretty much in the same position as you; And this gives you something to bond over.

Traveling alone is simply amazing. You may think it’s not for you, but if you never try it, then you’ll never know. So just book a flight, find a sociable hostel and then just go with the flow. Trust me, you’ll have an adventure you won’t ever forget! 

My first solo trip was a long weekend in Istanbul and I would be lying if I said it wasn’t challenging. Rather it pushed me to my limits. But despite it all, I spent a fabulous weekend a mile out of my comfort zone and lived to tell the tale.

Gaining confidence even outside you comfort zone is the real benefit to me as a lone traveller. The inevitability to dare to do things if I don’t want to spend my vacation alone in my hostel room taught me what I am capable of. After getting along alone in the hustle of Istanbul or solo road tripping through Ireland, who would be worried about calling a pizza delivery service or visiting a concert alone?

But even though many travellers are pretending it is not a big deal, taking a solo trip for the first time is scary. If you are worried you’ll be lonely or even feel bored on your first solo adventure, my best advice is: book a city trip to a destination you have a genuine interest in. The excitement of visiting a place you’ve been dreaming of will wash away a lot of the awkwardness and worries.