This blog is not about whether you should travel solo but it’s all about the reality behind travelling solo so that you can decide on your own if this is something that you want to experience in life.
Solo travelling is not everyone’s cup of tea. I have been travelling solo since more than a year now. However, I still can’t say that I always love travelling solo. It comes with its own pros and cons but then that happens in everything you do in life, right. Let me take you too few of my experiences of travelling solo.
How did my Journey Begin?
Being a travel blogger I want to travel as much as I can but somewhere I knew that I am limiting myself by depending on other people. Not only that, I am an IT professional and so are my friends and not everyone is willing to prioritize traveling over other things. I knew the only possible way to fulfill my dream of traveling the world is to go solo.
Life Changing Experiences Exist Only Out of Comfort Zone
Even after such a strong determination to travel I lagged courage to come out of my comfort zone. I was scared about a lot of things. Will my loneliness eat me? Will I be able to talk to strangers I meet during travel? Will it be able to manage everything on my own? What if something goes wrong? And many more questions were popping in my head but the only way to find answers to these questions was to actually go for the trip and figure out on my own.
If you wish to know how exactly I planned my first solo trip and what all I did on the trip, you can check out my blog on Tripoto.
Well, many people are emotionally strong and fearless that they don’t need a push to travel solo but certainly I am not one of them. It took me three years to finally gather the courage and unfortunately, the push was to release the depression that occurred due to Covid lockdown and my breakup. I wanted to know myself more and what could be better than travelling to Mountains and that is how my journey as a solo traveler began.
Everyone’s Journey in life is different and so should be your calling for travelling solo.
There is no second thought on the liberty and independence you feel when you actually finish one trip solo. This you must have heard from me and various solo travelers on Instagram and I am sure that it inspires you to travel solo. However, what you see on social media is not a complete picture always. We (travel enthusiasts and influencers) don’t really hide anything but then whatever is visible on screen is not everything.
Just today I was reading this book by Jeff Keller where he says, ‘Adversity brings out our hidden potential’. And, I think we all would agree that problems in life make us do things which we otherwise wouldn’t think of doing.
Let me share few of the adversities that I faced during my solo trips and how I overcame them.
- How would you feel roaming alone in the market during your trips?
I was travelling to Manali all alone with no plan in mind. I just booked myself a stay for a week and I left for the trip. I wasn’t sure how would it turn out and mostly when I travel solo, I stay in hostels but this time it was not a hostel. I booked myself a single room in a beautiful guest house in old manali. The uncertainty was making me anxious but I still pushed myself and reached there. I loved the place and the peace so much, I extended my trip. I am the kind of person who enjoys solitude as much as the social life. After 1 week, I was liking it but I was feeling lonely too many times because there were not many people around during that week. I used to go to market and feel so conscious roaming here and there alone but then I found a way out. I started recording myself in the camera and that being my passion to create content, I began to love roaming alone.
- Have you ever had food alone in a restaurant while travelling?
Well, I have had food alone before but in the city I live in and my experience was awkward. So, this time with no choice I had to go out and eat alone. So, I went out during sunset, found myself a nice spot in the café I wanted to visit, and ordered some good food and coffee. I wasn’t liking it as people were sitting in groups there. I decided to take it little positively and I called it a date to self and trust me, it changed my mood and I thoroughly enjoyed my food and later I ordered a desert for myself and came out happy. So, yes you need to try before you decide if you would like it or not.
- Fear of missing out(FOMO) vs Sense of Freedom
I guess you get over FOMO with time and experience. I am not there yet completely but I am definitely on the way because for me Freedom wins over everything in the world. We all need family, friends, people we love around us but they can’t be there in every path you take and that is okay. And the hard truth is that they won’t understand you at first if you’re walking on a path less taken. When you travel solo you realize where your real happiness lies because you meet the real version of yourself without the influence of your loved ones. You’ll feel homesick or lonely at times but then you’d know if you want to travel solo or being with your loved ones is more important than going solo. For me, freedom to travel tops the list and if something or someone or some relations are restricting that in some way, I might walk out. Those who understand and know me will stay and those who don’t will be disappointed but that is okay because it is my life and my journey.
To conclude, all I want to say is travelling solo is not easy but it is definitely worth experiencing once even if you decide later not to take that path anymore. There are numerous pros and cons of solo travel and with time and experience, I am sure I will have more to share with you. You can hit me on Instagram and follow my journey to see how my solo trips generally are.
Thanks for being here. Keep loving and keep following your passion. Anything you need to ask me further on Solo Traveling, leave your comments below.