Solo travel will inevitably get lonely and boring on occasions. Making friends is important when travelling alone. There’s only so much you can enjoy of your own company before you need some kind of social interaction. This will of course differ from person to person. I myself can enjoy my own company quite easily but there will always be things I wouldn’t do alone. There are things I stop myself doing as it may be awkward, embarrassing, look strange or perhaps be unsafe. I wouldn’t go to a bar alone or even eat in a posh looking restaurant by myself. These are silly things and I’m sure many other solo girls are perfectly fine doing but personally I find I hold back sometimes.
Try not to hold back when you solo travel…
On a recent trip to Australia I wanted to swim in a natural rock pool with the waves lapping over it. I was nervous to do it alone and then noticed another girl by herself, sitting on the edge of the rock. It looked like she wanted to go in but was also feeling anxious, like me. I asked if she wanted to go for a swim and we could jump in together. With a bit of persuading she agreed and it ended up being such a fun experience that she said she wouldn’t have had if she’d been alone. Simply having someone else with me gave me the courage to try and without feeling nervous about jumping in with no one else around, I was less scared. We then walked for 20 minutes and went our separate ways.
Just this simple and quick interaction was enough to put a smile on my face and say that I had a good day.
I don’t need to be around people all the time but just a conversation with someone after being alone for a few days is enough to draw you back from any loneliness that’s been creeping up.
And of course when you solo travel, you do get lonely sometimes. It’s something I try (or would like to) embrace rather than endure. It can be hard though, I’ve certainly had my fair share of private cries in the hostel bathroom because I’ve felt so alone. You will spot a group of friends, couples and other solo travellers who have recently met and are now travelling together. Sometimes I look at them with jealous eyes thinking how easy they make it look. Then I think about the reason why I’m travelling alone in the first place. Yes, maybe none of my friends or relatives really want to travel. But would I want them too? Because there are so many benefits of solo travel, which I try to remind myself of when feeling a bit lost with it all. Not having to reply on or compromise with anyone for a start!
But remember that solo travel doesn’t always mean you will be or need to be alone 100% of the time. You make the rules. It’s you who decides when or where to go, it’s you who decides how you will get there and it’s you who decides whether or not you want to be social or not. We are all different. Some days it’s wonderful to be alone and to relish the time you have to yourself. Other times it’s nice to enjoy some company.
How to make friends when travelling solo…
Hostels can be great places to meet people as a solo traveller. There will most likely always be someone else who’s feeling the same way and looking for a friend or just a chat. Its perfectly normal to just walk up to anybody in a hostel and introduce yourself without seeming like a total weirdo (no guarantees!). And it’s generally pretty easy to start talking to someone. Day tours are another good option for meeting new people.
Making friends when travelling can really be as easy or hard as you make it.
For example, there are times when solo travelling that I do feel down and just don’t have the energy or desire to start talking to a stranger and the usual pleasantries of “What’s your name?, Where are you from?”. It does get tiring having those same conversations. When travelling in Australia & NZ I felt maybe I was too closed off.
I felt that being slightly older I didn’t seem to have any common ground with the younger, party crowd that appeared to be everywhere. So I stuck to myself more than I normally do. In hindsight I realise that I was the problem. I was holding back and as a result felt even more lonely. When travelling you will talk to people you wouldn’t normally do when back home and if I think about the times I did make a friends in Australia & NZ, they are some of the happiest parts of my trip.
The small things that make a difference…
There will often be someone to talk to, even if it’s a person you wouldn’t expect to make conversation with, people will always surprise you. So now and then its worth putting yourself out there and just saying “Hi”. Every backpacker shares the common ground of travel so there will always be something to talk about!
Having company during solo travel is important. It’s nice to have someone to share something with, to talk to, find out about their country and customs, or to rent a car with for day or even just to have dinner with. These small things can make such a big difference when alone and on the other side of the world, away from everything you know. It keeps you sane (sane-ish if you’re a nutter like me :P).
So although there will be moments that you miss home, miss your friends or just sick and tired of it all, I can almost guarantee that it will be a distant memory once back at home. So just try. Try and make those first conversations with people and see where it will lead. Sometimes you can learn the most interesting things from other travellers! There will usually be a single old traveller with grey hair sitting somewhere in the hostel, I would start there! They have many stories haha! So if you’re worried about going it alone then don’t be.
The ups and downs are part of solo travel but we get there. We find a way and we get there. When travelling, it’s always easier than you think.
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