TRAVELING SOLO
August 16, 2018

My little travel excursion is now over. I have returned to California where strangely everything seems exactly as I left it…it always appears to be that way when you return after a long trip. Almost as if two months were just one long, beautiful dream.

The reason I started this blog in the first place was to share some of my travel stories with friends/family and keep a little memory bank for myself, but it has lead me to realize that in the future (after working as a marine biologist or something similar for a few years) I hope to be a science writer. Someone who works closely with scientists in different fields and writes about their research for the public. Essentially a mediator between the incomprehensible oversophisticated science jargon that we are taught to use in school, and the majority of the public who needs and WANTS to be informed on important issues such as climate change, disease, wildlife, environmental issues, the microbiome, etc. Out of all my hobbies and passions, it is communicating to people the importance of protecting our oceans and environment that is of the utmost importance to me, now more than ever. And as my biology senior advisor told me, “If you want to be a writer, you know what you have to do. Write.”

So, I took this as a leisurely fun assignment—blogging about my adventures in Asia and Australia. Obviously, this is a casual, informal style of writing. But writing is writing, so I thought it would be a good way to somehow work towards my future (like I said…very indirectly) while also having the time of my life.

With that short explanation aside, I will continue on to my last post—about traveling solo. Partially to reflect on my own experiences and partially to help anyone who is thinking about traveling alone, I have comprised a list of things I have learned and advice I would give to anyone about to embark on a solo journey. Please note…I am no expert and definitely not trying to seem like one. This is simply what I learned from all my mistakes, mishaps and positive experiences abroad.

 I genuinely enjoyed traveling alone. Ironically, not because I was alone, but because I met so many people. In retrospect, I wasn’t alone nearly as much as I thought I would be. Especially when staying at hostels (which I highly recommend for solo travelers), there are always social people who are excited to meet new people and who you can go try new things and explore with.

So, Tip #1: Stay at hostels to meet people

Tip #2: Don’t be afraid to talk to someone, whether sitting alone at a café or a bar or the beach, etc. I met some of the most interesting people simply by saying hi and starting a conversation. You don’t need to wait for someone to approach you…you literally have nothing to lose.

Tip #3: Go out with people and have fun, but remember you are the person that you trust most when alone which means you have to look out for yourself. You don’t have a best friend or a sibling to watch your back. So be careful with drinks and know who you are surrounding yourself with.

Tip #4: Try new things! Go eat at cool places and try new food, try a different form of transportation, surf, hike somewhere, sky dive, scuba dive, buy an instrument, take an art class, anything. Just because you are alone, doesn’t mean you can’t do something adventurous (plus, I bet if you ask someone at the hostel they will gladly join you).

Tip #5: Go listen to music somewhere. Live music venues were some of my favorite and best places to hang out. It’s always a good vibe.

Tip #6: This might be my most important tip. Do NOT use your phone while eating a meal, even if you are alone. It was shocking when I realized how many people (including groups of friends) all pick up their phones instantly when they sit down to eat. Especially solo travelers do this…for some reason people feel like they have to be entertained or that it’s “awkward” to sit alone. From day 1 of my month alone, I made a promise to myself that I would never use my phone during a meal (unless I was taking a photo of something). During meals that I would eat alone, I would sit there and observe. Watch activity occur on the street or interactions between people. I would sit there and do nothing by enjoy my meal, and think. It was a bizarrely simple phenomenon that nowadays we never do. We are drawn to distractions. But I got used to sitting there and ignoring that urge to grab my phone, slowing down the pace of things and simply enjoying the moment and the delicious food in front of me. Plus, I met some great people sitting near me who I wouldn’t have talked to if I had been hidden behind my screen. So just don’t do it, see what happens. That is something I am trying to implement into my daily life back here as well.

Tip #7: Listen to your gut. Mine once told me not to sleep in a room with middle aged meth addicts. And I’m glad I listened to it.

Tip #8: Forget about FOMO (fear of missing out). Who the hell cares what your friends are doing half way around the world? They are at a music festival or a house party with a bunch of old friends? That’s awesome. So be genuinely happy for them. But you’re exploring beaches and rainforests, or a new city, or making new friends from Switzerland and England and Japan. Or maybe you’re just sitting on a bench, wondering what to do next. It doesn’t matter—the point is, it’s stupid to use social media if it makes you feel like you’re missing out, because the only thing you are missing out on then is being present. Don’t get me wrong, I used social media to occasionally post a video or photo of what I was doing (mainly for mom and my close friends) but I rarely used it to see what other people were up to. Because I didn’t want to waste time comparing or missing out on the precious time I had wherever I was traveling. You realize how looking at social media pales in comparison to enjoying the present. Because when you go home, you’ll be wishing you were back traveling.

To sum up…

Pros:

1.     Easy to meet people. It is true, it is way easier to make friends and meet people when you travel alone. Probably because you are alone and want that company, but also because when you are with a friend you are much less inclined to reach out to a solo traveler or group of people. This was the best part of traveling alone, in my opinion. I am beyond grateful for the amazing humans I connected with and look forward to seeing many of them in the future.

2.     You become much more vigilant than when you travel with someone

3.     You can literally do whatever you want, whenever you want. 

4.     It is a huge growing experience. You learn a lot about yourself—your limits, what situations you thrive in and what situations you don’t want to be in again, and how to deal with many obstacles being completely self-dependent

5.     You can be as transient or as stationary as you want

6.     It is a flexible schedule and it can change entirely dependent on who you meet—and you don’t have to consult a friend or group of friends to make sure they are on the same page as you.

Cons:

1.     You HAVE to be much more vigilant. No one else is watching your stuff or yourself

2.     You HAVE to make every decision…and for an indecisive person like me, that often resulted in humorous “what the hell am I doing” moments

3.     It can get lonely. There were definitely times when I wished some of my friends or family were traveling with me and I missed the company. I am extremely independent and easily entertained so I usually can fill my time alone and not feel too lonely, but especially if you need constant human interaction, then just be prepared to be alone or to put yourself in social settings a lot (hostels, outdoor activities, tours, bars, whatever floats your boat).

4.     You miss people. There were many times when I wished my best friends were with me so we could die of laughter together over some dumb situation or simply have someone who knows me well to share experiences with. The pro is that you meet so many awesome new people—but on the contrary, it becomes exhausting meeting new people all the time and having to form temporary friendships because you have a flight in two days to a new country.

5.     It is very difficult to put sunscreen on your own back. Find a buddy for that. Or be a one-sided lobster—your call.

 So, that is all I have to say. I am honestly not sure if anyone actually read any of these…which perhaps is a good thing. Since this isn't a science paper, these posts have mainly been a bunch of jumbled thoughts and experiences I had while traveling these past couple months. But if you did read any of them, thanks for persevering through. I don’t know why you did…but you did. And I appreciate you.

Adios amigos :)