Solo travel
In honor of my week long stint in Paris this week, I wanted to talk about another subject close to my heart— solo travel.
I LOVE to travel solo. I am a big time introvert and a projector and freedom is HUGE for me so, solo travel pretty much checks all my boxes. I have all the time to myself that I need so I feel really refreshed and more open to meet new people. However, I am alone so there’s no pressure to meet people if I’m not feeling it or in the mood. Also, everything is on my time line so I feel FREE to do as much or as little as I want. I crave structure during my day to day life, but when I travel I don’t plan very much. During my 7 months around SE Asia, I learned my travel style and that is: live like a local. I don’t hanker to hit up every tourist attraction (I’ll see the ones that resonate the most) or plan every minute of my trip. I want to check out the places the locals go, walk around, be immersed in the new land and see where the winds take me. Being solo means I get to FULLY lean into that experience, not compromise or worry a companion is bored or anxious. It’s heaven I tell you. For example, I could go to an incredible Indian place at 9pm in Paris and while I’m reading the new Rolling Stone article on T Swift without worrying about ignoring anyone!
As much as I love travel, I get a lot of women remarking on my solo travel and how they don’t feel like they could do it. Solo travel might not be for everyone, but I think it’s hugely beneficial for everyone. It helps you really learn what you like, what you don’t and the way you want to travel! It also gives you uninterrupted time to just BE with yourself and develop a deeper relationship with your number 1— you! I am such a fan of solo travel and I want to help any other women out there who are thinking of taking a solo trip, but are feeling weird or not sure how to do it some tips!
Choose the location you’ve been most wanting to travel to: I say this because it’s our job to create a full life for ourselves no matter if we are single or in a relationship. We are still in charge of creating satisfaction in our lives. So, if you’ve been dying to go to Morocco— go! You don’t need to wait for people to join you. Be the full sundae you are and get on that plane!
Google is your friend— I know a lot of women feel unsafe with the idea of traveling alone however, I find it to be very safe. I always make sure I pick a place to stay in an area that is more populated so other folks are around if I need help. I also Google the address before hand and look at the area through Google Earth so when I arrive it seems more familiar to me and less foreign. I also use Google for things to look out for in terms of transportation in my destination. Are certain taxi companies a scam? Should I take the bus? etc. It’s helpful so I arrive at my destination and feel empowered through what I know and can make better decisions from there.
Meet people— this is the best part of traveling alone is meeting other humans you never would have otherwise. When I was in Hoi An I met a german couple and a New Zealand dude while at a spring roll making class and we all ended up spending the next few days together. It was so much fun! It might seem lonely to travel alone, but it isn’t! If you want to share parts of your journey with others, there are new friends waiting for you right there to share it with you. And then you have friends all over the globe!