6 things to remember when traveling alone
When I was 30 I gave up my apartment, quit my job and left on a 5,5 month trip by myself. After spending two months in Aruba, I ended up spending 4 months in Asia and had the time of my life. That was the first time I traveled solo and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. Since then I easily go anywhere by myself. I’ve done trips to NYC, Boston and Canada, Portugal, Spain. I believe everyone should travel alone at least once in their life. Here are my 6 biggest lessons.
Trust your instincts and gut feeling
This is maybe the most important lesson I learned. Traveling solo teaches you to depend on yourself. In all kinds of situations you only have you to make sure you’re staying safe. I learned to trust my own gut feeling and instincts, because they usually turned out to be right. You can never go wrong with trusting yourself.
Everything you’d like to do you can do and is okay
A for me powerful realization was that I could do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, with whoever and wherever. It’s okay to not hang out with people if you don’t feel like it. It’s okay to stay in your hostel and chill if that’s what you want. If people you’re not very excited about ask you to join them, it’s okay to say no. And there is no pressure, because all solo travelers understand feeling free is the most important thing.
You don’t have to get deep with everyone
I personally like to have good and real conversations with people. Sometimes I also like to have these with people I just met. But you can’t have them with everyone. Mainly because not everyone wants or needs that. My experience is that surface level talks can be just as fun when you get to hang out with cool people.
Most people are kind and want to help you
Maybe you’re someone that doesn’t believe me when I say that, but I find that it is true. For me it starts with being kind yourself. Having an open attitude toward other cultures, food, beliefs, languages and being aware of where you are in the world will help you see how hospitable people can be. And if you need help, ask for it. You’ll be surprised to learn how many people are happy to help you.
People can come into your life for only a day or two
Traveling solo means meeting new people every day. What I learned is that people can come in your life for just a day and create a memory. I met a girl at the airport in NYC, we went to the hostel together and spent the day walking around and exploring. The next day she left and I left. And now I remember her whenever I think about the day I had in the city. Some people are to be in your life for a short period of time, and that’s okay. Enjoy it.
Being alone is something you can learn and it gets easier (and more comfortable)
Being good at being alone is something you can learn, but you have to practice it. The first time I went to a bar by myself I had spent an hour thinking about whether or not to do it. Doing it helps to make it more comfortable. It’s actually very nice to sit somewhere and enjoy the scenery, the people walking by. I always have a book, a puzzle book or a map of the city with me, so that I don’t have to be on my phone the whole time and have something to do. And another positive thing is that people tend to talk to you more when you’re by yourself.
