It's dangerous to go alone!
"My husband is with me. Honey! Come here. He and I are just here for a few weeks..."
"Yeah, we've been best friends since we were children, so we decided to travel together after university..."
"We actually met on an app for people looking for travel buddies..."
"...are you here alone?"
One of the most common questions I've gotten over the course of my time here (other than, "What's your favourite place?") is if I'm traveling alone. Some people ask it with a sense of wonder, others with concern, others with a mixture of surprise and pity. After talking with other solo travelers about it, it's not uncommon - we all get asked this question, with these tones, and most of us have the same response: an enthusiastic "Yep!"
This is the first time I've traveled by myself, and I've loved it. I make my own schedule, and I don't have to answer to or worry about disappointing anyone else. I take chill days when I'm feeling lazy, I have crazy busy days when I feel like sightseeing, I go for full day hikes when I'm feeling energetic. I spend as much time as I want in each place I go, and I change my plans dozens of times on a whim or based on information from local people or other travelers. This kind of freedom and lack of responsibility has been a really nice break from life back home.
"But aren't you lonely?"
Nope. I ride the line between introvert and extrovert, so being alone allows me to withdraw inward with a book for a whole day when I don't feel like being social, and grabbing a beer and sitting down at a table full of people I've never met in the hostel common area when I do. I can make friends and travel with them for weeks, or separate from them for an afternoon, a day, or forever if we have different plans - no feelings hurt, nothing taken personally. Being alone has allowed to me to connect with people from many different places and backgrounds, and helped me become more outgoing (not that I was shy before).
Of course, I do miss everyone I love back home. I've rarely been homesick while I've been out here, but I think one reason for that is I've been able to talk to Kris everyday, Mom and Dad once a week, and friends every once in a while. It's been great to maintain that connection back home while I've been away. I've also been lucky enough to travel with several friends and loved ones for a few months cumulatively while I've been out here, and I was always borderline giddy to meet up with anyone from back home. Maybe I would have a slightly different opinion on solo traveling for this long had that not been the case.
"But isn't it dangerous?"
Based on my experience, and that of others I've talked to, nope. Of course, you have to have your wits about you, especially when no one is there to watch your back. It's not a particularly good idea to stumble home drunk at 4:00am down dark back alleys where gangs are known to hang out. But you wouldn't do that at home, either. Yes, you do need to watch out for scams, or thieves on motorbikes who try to snatch your bag or phone as they drive by, or sketchy dudes following you around trying to get you to accompany them somewhere, or other similar petty crimes and dangers, but it's really just a matter of learning the ropes of each place you visit, especially if it's a big city or a tourist hub. Most of the warnings we hear back home are just fear mongering. Funnily enough, tourism agencies and some scammers thrive on that fear mongering, telling you it's dangerous to go wherever you're going and that you should take their organized tour or hop in their tuktuk instead (which just ends up costing you way more money for no reason). In general, most places have people who will try to steal your money by deception, but rarely by force. Assaulting tourists generally isn't a good idea in countries that thrive on tourism.
"Wow, I don't think I could that."
Sure, you can. I wasn't sure I could, either. But doing this has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life: it's made me more comfortable in my own skin, and more much willing to spend some time by myself, whether it's a solo hike, a movie, or just spending some time reflecting a bit. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again, and I'm excited for my next adventure, whether I have company or not.
"Yeah, we've been best friends since we were children, so we decided to travel together after university..."
"We actually met on an app for people looking for travel buddies..."
"...are you here alone?"
One of the most common questions I've gotten over the course of my time here (other than, "What's your favourite place?") is if I'm traveling alone. Some people ask it with a sense of wonder, others with concern, others with a mixture of surprise and pity. After talking with other solo travelers about it, it's not uncommon - we all get asked this question, with these tones, and most of us have the same response: an enthusiastic "Yep!"
This is the first time I've traveled by myself, and I've loved it. I make my own schedule, and I don't have to answer to or worry about disappointing anyone else. I take chill days when I'm feeling lazy, I have crazy busy days when I feel like sightseeing, I go for full day hikes when I'm feeling energetic. I spend as much time as I want in each place I go, and I change my plans dozens of times on a whim or based on information from local people or other travelers. This kind of freedom and lack of responsibility has been a really nice break from life back home.
"But aren't you lonely?"
Nope. I ride the line between introvert and extrovert, so being alone allows me to withdraw inward with a book for a whole day when I don't feel like being social, and grabbing a beer and sitting down at a table full of people I've never met in the hostel common area when I do. I can make friends and travel with them for weeks, or separate from them for an afternoon, a day, or forever if we have different plans - no feelings hurt, nothing taken personally. Being alone has allowed to me to connect with people from many different places and backgrounds, and helped me become more outgoing (not that I was shy before).
Of course, I do miss everyone I love back home. I've rarely been homesick while I've been out here, but I think one reason for that is I've been able to talk to Kris everyday, Mom and Dad once a week, and friends every once in a while. It's been great to maintain that connection back home while I've been away. I've also been lucky enough to travel with several friends and loved ones for a few months cumulatively while I've been out here, and I was always borderline giddy to meet up with anyone from back home. Maybe I would have a slightly different opinion on solo traveling for this long had that not been the case.
"But isn't it dangerous?"
Based on my experience, and that of others I've talked to, nope. Of course, you have to have your wits about you, especially when no one is there to watch your back. It's not a particularly good idea to stumble home drunk at 4:00am down dark back alleys where gangs are known to hang out. But you wouldn't do that at home, either. Yes, you do need to watch out for scams, or thieves on motorbikes who try to snatch your bag or phone as they drive by, or sketchy dudes following you around trying to get you to accompany them somewhere, or other similar petty crimes and dangers, but it's really just a matter of learning the ropes of each place you visit, especially if it's a big city or a tourist hub. Most of the warnings we hear back home are just fear mongering. Funnily enough, tourism agencies and some scammers thrive on that fear mongering, telling you it's dangerous to go wherever you're going and that you should take their organized tour or hop in their tuktuk instead (which just ends up costing you way more money for no reason). In general, most places have people who will try to steal your money by deception, but rarely by force. Assaulting tourists generally isn't a good idea in countries that thrive on tourism.
"Wow, I don't think I could that."
Sure, you can. I wasn't sure I could, either. But doing this has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life: it's made me more comfortable in my own skin, and more much willing to spend some time by myself, whether it's a solo hike, a movie, or just spending some time reflecting a bit. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again, and I'm excited for my next adventure, whether I have company or not.
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