Thinking of Travelling Solo?

I had so many nerves when I decided to set off on my own. It didn't help when people would exclaim 'oh your travelling on your own?' and 'oh your so brave'. I had so many worries - What if I don't make any friends? What if I have to eat on my own? What if I get homesick? I wish now I had put less effort into worrying and more effort into what to pack!!

The first thing you need to realise is that you are hardly ever on your own! Since travelling through India/SE Asia and Australia I don't think I have been on my own for more than one day. Backpacking is extremely social! You check into a hostel and you immediately make friends, you make friends on nights out, you make friends on tours, you make friends in the most random ways... Some of the best friends I made travelling are just from sitting next to another backpacker and asking 'hey are you travelling on your own?' Unless you are extremely introvert and scared of meeting new people you will not have any problems making friends while on the road. More than likely some of these friends will turn into the closest friends you ever had.

You will always find someone in your hostel who is willing to join you for a bite of street food... were backpackers we love eating cheap! But if you find yourself dining on your own - Enjoy it! While it is a lot of fun to meet new people, sometimes it is lovely to have some me time! And I personally love to people watch while sipping on a passion fruit shake and updating my journal!

It is completely natural to get homesick at times whether your an hour away from home or 24 hours away from home. Don't wallow in it. Go outside, sit on the beach, climb the mountains, trek the jungle and look around you. You are extremely lucky! It will pass eventually and you will wonder why you ever felt homesick!

One of the best things about being a solo traveller is that you can be as impulsive as you like and you don't need to answer to anyone! So you meet a cool cat who is jumping on a flight tomorrow.. jump on it too! Bored of your current location or hostel? Move! Sick of your job? Leave! I have met so many backpackers who started off their trip with friends/spouces and who ended up falling out and heading off in seperate directions. The nice thing about being a solo traveller is that you don't have to worry about anyone else, you can wake up in the morning and think "what shall I do today?'.

So don't worry about travelling on your own! Embrace it!

And put more thought in to what to pack :D

XOXO

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