Choosing Solo Travel

What is life if we are limited to the ideas, information, and knowledge that has shaped our entire existence but a sheltered experience influenced by the lives of others confined to our own environment?

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When I first started planning my Eurotrip, I had no intentions of going alone. I was hoping that a friend or two would be willing to join my adventure and see the places I wanted to see and do the things I wanted to do.

A former co-worker of mine, who at the time, was returning from traveling around Asia, once told me how fortunate she was to have gone with someone who was 'good at traveling.'

Totally foreign to this idea, I smiled and offered her a supporting nod as if I understood what she meant.

'Good at traveling?' I thought to myself: 'What does that even mean? What makes a good traveler?'

It was not until this journey that I understood what she meant. Traveling can be hard! It elicits the best AND worst in people! It's not until you find yourself in an unfortunate situation that you know who someone really is.

Like the time your bus driver, who speaks only Serbian, drops off you at 2AM in the middle of a field for reasons totally unbeknownst to you! Or when you've missed your flight and you're stuck in a city with no place to stay.

In situations where you are forced to either sink or swim, you can only hope that the person you're traveling with is willing to carry their weight and help you figure it out. Or if you're solo and find that person along the way, like me, you better at least know yourself.

While all situations are not as (truly hilarious in retrospect) extreme- it is still important to know the kind of person you choose to travel with. Some people are okay with staying in hostels, others prefer to stay in hotels. Differences and similarities in simple preferences like that can make a trip stress-free or stressful.

So why did I choose to travel alone after all?

There's two answers to that question. The first, which is simple, is that none of my friends could take off work to travel Europe for 40 days (post coming soon). The second answer, which was not developed until I had been traveling alone for some time, was freedom. Freedom to go where I wanted, when I wanted, and live life at my own pace. The flexibility to wake up late in a brand new city, with the day entirely unplanned, and do nothing besides browse Catalonian art in local hole-in-the-wall gallerias. Or to get up at 6AM, treat my hangover with another croissant, and go sightseeing because I only had one day left in Paris.

And though I started this journey solo- I was hardly ever alone. Moments when I was actually alone, I cherished. Time that was not occupied by meeting others was usually spent touching base with loved ones.

'But how did you meet so many people? Make so many friends?'

People from home would ask.

If you're curious, lookout out for my upcoming post: 'The Nature of Being Alone Together.'

Until then, the short answer is hostels.

Most of my friends and family thought I was crazy, and some probably still do. But once you get out there and try it for yourself, you'll learn that there is an entire COMMUNITY of people around the world who do this, and that in most countries, this concept is not taboo but instead a cultural norm.

Part of the beauty of traveling is becoming exposed to different ways of life that challenge your own standards of what you consider traditional. While broadening your perception can feel intimidating; it is necessary for self-growth.

Thanks for reading!

New post coming next week.