Earlier this year, I traveled alone across Europe. In some cities I knew a friend from college, in others perhaps a friend of a friend, but for all intents and purposes I wandered around by myself with no plan for about a month. Even for someone a close friend recently referred to as “the most extroverted person I know,” it was one of the best months of my life.
Both at home and abroad, though, the idea of extended, solo travel seems oddly foreign. Common reactions to my travel plans included:
“Wow! Good for you to be able to do that!”
“Don’t you get lonely?”
“You mean, you’re going do all these things…by yourself?”
Yes. Traveling by myself was the most thought-provoking, battery-resetting thing I’ve ever done. Here’s how to do it right, and why it’s so much more impactful than traveling with other people (even people you like).
Whatever The F*ck Time
It is only through solo travel that you can truly experience something I call “whatever the f*ck” (WTF) time.
Be it work, family, or something else, we all have obligations? - ?things we need to do to avoid bad things from happening. It doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy those things, and it doesn’t mean we’re “trapped” in some unfulfiling nightmare. It just means our lives are intertwined with other people, and our actions have consequences. Obviously, getting away from these obligations is good for the soul, and pretty much everyone recognises time off is a basic human necessity from time to time.