1. It's scary.Whether you're fifteen or fifty, you'll find yourself somewhere between "constantly self-conscious and terrified" and "at ease with the occasional anxiety" depending on how experienced you are. Relax, it's normal and you're most definitely not alone. Most of the nervousness comes from dealing with something new without anyone around to help or do it for you. When in doubt, just ask for help politely. The other common cause of concern is your safety and not getting lost. Both of these can be managed by taking responsible precautions. For me, since I was travelling abroad for the first time too, even just getting out of my hotel room was a task. I'd delay leaving for some unknown reason. I'd stand in the doorway and suddenly feel like checking my pockets to ensure I had the key card with me. If I had to call the reception, I would actually rehearse what I was going to say. I'd plan my route in great detail and then once I was out in the open, the anxiety would fade and I'd abandon the plan and just roam around. 2. It's peaceful.If you like being alone, this is your heaven. If you dislike being alone, this is your chance to explore the other side and for you to grow as a person. There were moments when the calm would just hit me and I would just feel pure joy. In that moment it felt like it was just me in the entire Universe. It's an incredible feeling...enjoying your own company. 3. People will be surprised.There might be some will discourage you from exploring the world on your own. It's important to remember that you're doing this for yourself. 4. It can get lonely.When you haven't seen a familiar face or spoken to someone you know for a few days, you might feel the pangs of loneliness. When I visited Cambridge, I booked a walking tour and I was the only person in that group who had come alone. Everyone else had a friend or partner or relative. They had someone to share the excitement of the awe-inspiring architecture. They had someone who could take pictures for them. They had someone to discuss their findings with. They had someone to sit with at the pub. That's when I felt most lonely. 5. You probably won't do anything too crazy.You're alone and you are responsible for your own safety, security and good health. There isn't anyone around to take care of you if you do something stupid and reckless. Also, you're there to make happy memories so hopefully, you'll keep this mind and avoid ruining your trip! 6. You'll be a bit crazy.You're alone! You're free! And you'll probably never see the people around you again. So go ahead and randomly sing with a musician on the street...nobody you know is judging you! 7. You'll make more friends.When you travel with someone else, you're less likely to talk to strangers. The comfort of your family or friends group can prevent you from striking up a conversation with someone outside that group because you already have someone to hang out with. When you're alone, you're more likely to look for other lonely souls or interact with another group of people. You'll probably talk to the receptionist at your hotel for longer, discuss the weather and local sights with the taxi driver and chat with the lovely lady down at the café as she tells you how she spent the last seven years in that town! 8. You'll discover yourself.It's true, as clichéd as it may sound. You'll learn about your strengths and your weaknesses. You might even surprise yourself. It doesn't have to be huge revelation. The small things matter. I was scared about messing up my flights or missing my train, but I did it just fine and I'm quite proud of myself for that. 9. You get to do what YOU want!When travelling with others, you might let go seeing places or doing things you really want to do because everybody else doesn't want to do it. When travelling alone, your itinerary is yours and yours ONLY! 10. Try something different.Solo travel doesn't always have to mean booking yourself on a flight to an exotic destination. Do you usually drive to work or college? Try biking instead or hop onto public transport. Visiting a nearby city? Can you take a boat ride? Is there a park you can visit? Or a local museum? What about the city you currently live in? Have you walked into a local eatery? Have you driven to the outskirts? Maybe pack yourself a day picnic? Do a local bus tour? At the end of the day, solo travel is what YOU make of it! Check out this video from my favourite travel vloggers- the supercool Vaga Brothers! I hope you enjoyed reading this!
Have you travelled alone? What was it like? Planning to travel alone? Where do you want to go? Comment below and let me know!
1 Comment
Israeli Lawyer Moshe Strugano
7/9/2022 16:18:13
It's not necessary to plan a flight by yourself to an unusual location when travelling alone.
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AuthorNikita is currently a prospective medical student on a gap year before starting university. She has experience mentoring students for IGCSE and A Level exams. Her current area of interest is neuroscience. Acknowledgement and Gratitude
A heartfelt thank you to the following people for their encouragement, help and support: Mum & Dad Martin, Tina & Roshni Timms Preeti Bhatt Anjana Rathore Sanshriti Mehta Eeshani Juthani Indraja Polubothu Abhishek Ghoshal Vibhavari Desai Ananya Singh Tanishqa Naithani Vineeth Lekkala Archives
August 2017
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