I never intended to travel alone.
On the contrary, I was convinced that my university year abroad would be one of the most sociable of my life. Scrolling through the Instagram feeds of friends in the year above me, life looked like one long party.
I didn't bat an eyelid when I learned that I'd teach English in a tiny, remote town located in the southernmost tip of Italy. Or when I discovered that most of my friends were heading to Paris and the more touristy regions of central and northern Italy. In fact, I felt a smug sort of satisfaction that I would have theĀ authentic experience. It was only on arrival, when I texted my future landlord for the first time and received the response āChi ĆØ?ā (Who is this?), that I realized how completely alone I was.
I knew absolutely nobody in this entire region, never mind the town itself. The school I worked at was welcoming and I did my best to make friends. However, I could never really shake the feeling that I was pretty much in this alone. The year that followed was undoubtedly one of the hardest of my life, but I learned more about myself that year than I did all the other years combined. The things I learned that year have translated beyond travel, and into every area of my life, and for that I am grateful.
7 Lessons From Traveling Alone
1. It doesnāt matter what anybody thinks
Wandering around a quiet community alone, I stood out like a sore thumb. At restaurants, my requests for a table of one were met with a baffled āuna?ā from an incredulous waiter. The idea that I was alone, and alone by choice, people just couldn't get their head around.
At first it bothered me a lot. Iād avoid going out so I wouldn't have to explain why I was on my own. Pretty soon, though, I learned to shrug it off. Because you know what? It doesnāt matter what anyone else thinks.
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Overtime I realized, I had no proof that anyone was actually thinking about me. I was probably overthinking like I always do. Furthermore, who cares if a shopkeeper, who I will never see again, thinks I am a loner?Ā I was independent.
Throughout the year, I grew bolder with my solo travel moves, and ended up spending a whole weekend alone in Capri, a beautiful, romantic island off the coast of Naples. On a hot May weekend, it was crammed full of tourists. And to my surprise not one person asked me why I was on my own.
2. It takes time to figure out what you want
When I headed abroad in my penultimate year of university, I was overwhelmed with the choices that lay ahead of me. I had narrowed my career options to a solid fifteen and was being pulled in different directions by various studying and personal commitments.
I quickly realized, itās impossible to stay in touch with all your minor acquaintances when youāre away for so long. If you can keep in touch with someone and still be close after a year apart, well thatās a pretty good sign that theyāll be in your life for the long haul.Ā A year on my own gave me the breathing space I needed to figure out what I wanted and prioritize it. I learned to not sweat the small stuff. A lesson that later translated to clarity in my career.
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3. Donāt overlook the simple pleasures
In my experience, people tend to feel pressured when traveling. They think every moment has to be an awesome Insta-worthy memory. Feeling stressed about cramming all the sights of a place into a short visit and worrying about sharing it all as you go, is a sure-fire way to suck the joy out of the present moment.
Being abroad for a long time allowed me to take things slow and really appreciate the small details of my travels. The taste of freshly baked brioche dipped in the creamy foam of a caffĆØ macchiato is a memory I'll cherish more than that photograph of me next to the Coliseum.
4. Take the time to read
Seriously, the combination of roaming charges and endless six-hour train rides (like I said, this place was remote)created the perfect climate to connect with my inner bookworm. I read an insane amount during that year. Including some pretty hefty stuff like George Elliotās Middlemarch, Tolstoyās War and Peace, and Tolkienās The Lord of the Rings are among the pile of books I devoured.
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Thereās nothing like reading to connect with your own voice, and itās a pleasure that usually falls to the bottom of my priorities. By taking the time to read, those long journeys went from being dead time to an adventure. An opportunity for entertainment, self-improvement and to find out if Frodo would ever make it back from Mount Doom in one piece.
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5. You will find kindness everywhere
As a young woman traveling alone, I felt pretty vulnerable at times. Iād be super careful not to go out too late and would keep my valuables strapped close to me at all times. In fact, I was so concerned about keeping myself safe that at times I didnāt see the kindness that was right in front of me.
For example, the teacher at the school I was working at drove out of her way to give me a lift to work every single day. The coffee shop owner that told me Iād lost weight and proceeded to give me free chocolate. My local corner shop who told me theyād been wondering where I was after Iād missed the last few weeks shopping (Iād been traveling).
Knowing that these strangers who I could barely hold a conversation with (my Italian wasnāt improving at quite the rate Iād have liked) had my back! Reflecting on those moments made me realize: you will find kindness wherever you go, and itās worth looking out for it.
6. The people you love are everything
When I packed my bags to head off for the year, I knew Iād miss my family and friends. I braced myself for the first few weeks, knowing they'd be tough, but BOY did I miss them. My family and I get on, but weāre no more close-knit than your average household, and Iād actually say Iām less sociable with my friends than lots of millennials are with their support network.
Being abroad really changed everything for me. I realized what I valued most was quality time spent with my loved ones. I didnāt care if I made a ton of new friends, but I wanted to make sure the ones I had, knew that I cared about them. Now that Iāve been back in the UK a few years, I still try to see my family and friends as often as possible.
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7. Making all the decisions is empowering
Planning to travel alone can be a pretty daunting experience. Having always latched on to other's organizational skills, and suddenly having to do everything myself seemed downright impossible. Once I began browsing through guide books and booking hotels, everything changed.
Here was a unique opportunity for me to do exactly what I wanted, without consulting anyone. Choosing activities based purely on my own interests, staying in hotels that I liked and eating wherever the heck I pleased was a pretty awesome experience. And suddenly the fact that I was doing all this alone didnāt seem such a big deal.
Traveling alone might not seem like the most fun way to while away a year, but I would really recommend giving yourself that space, even if just for a month or so.
Being removed from everything that made me really stop in my tracks had forced me to construct an identity for myself from scratch. I returned from my year abroad more confident, more sure of who I was and thinking that maybe this solo travel lark wasnāt such a crazy idea after all.
Have you ever travelled solo? Was it everything you imagined it would be?
Share your tips and experiences in the comments!
*Guest Post* As always, all guest posters opinions and experiences are uniquely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TCM. Thank you for support writers who support TCM! Be sure to check out more of Isobel's work on her blog, I Read Past Bedtime.
Travelling is something everyone should do and I think that people shouldn’t fall into the trap of “you can’t travel alone you’re a female”
Agreed – I found it pretty scary but that’s almost why you need to do it! Once you’ve travelled alone you can do most things.
These are so, so true and insightful! It takes some courage to live abroad for a year alone!
Love this post! Even without traveling abroad, I think it’s so important to be okay with doing things on your own as it gives you some much needed “me time” and helps you be more independent too!
Traveling alone is the best! At first I was nervous people would think it was weird but no one noticed I was alone. Point 7 is the main reason everyone should do this. You can actually decide what you want to do and when you want to do it and not have to compromise. I once sat for an hour or so people watching and it was great!
I absolutely LOVED reading every word of this post. I am an avid traveler, but I’ve never had the guts to travel alone. It’s definitely a goal of mine though – there’s certainly so much to learn from traveling solo, and you definitely just convinced me with your insight. Thanks for inspiration! <3
Jenn
I’m so pleased you like the post, Jenn š Traveling alone is way less daunting than it seems and there’s so much to learn about yourself from doing it.
Traveling alone is the best, went to NY one time and couldn’t believe how much fun it was. Forces you to talk to people lol. Cool guest post!
I have never traveled alone, but I go to concerts alone and I get a lot of crap from other people about that. I think that fact you travel alone is incredible. I loved how you focused on the fact that kindness is everywhere. I was just telling my husband how a woman yesterday randomly struck up a conversation with me and it made me day.
I really need to keep the solo mentality now that I’m back home! Will put going to a concert alone on my list.
Love this. I’m a solo hiker, you learn so much about yourself taking adventures without others! Don’t get me wrong company is fine, but discovering yourself is really something
I have not traveled alone but, although it terrifies me, would probably be good for me to increase my confidence.
These are great lessons! You’re so brave to travel alone. I’ve always wanted to but I never had the courage to do it.
It’s definitely worth trying sometime, just to prove to yourself that you CAN do it š
Wow, that’s a hard situation to be in! But I do love solo travel, there are so many good benefits to it.
Dining alone can be so annoying but I like how you spin it, that you’re independent!
Yeah you really have to own that one! Luckily I didn’t have wifi most places so I was forced to not just look at my phone!
Such a great post! I have traveled alone but not like that. I went to Utah for a week but that is nothing compared to the author’s experience. I would definitely miss my family too. Also, I can see how making all the decisions would be empowering.
I love this! i traveled alone once. It wasn’t for long, but it really was the best experience and I’m eager to do it again.
This is such an interesting read! Like you I spent much of a year alone in a strange place speaking a language I wasn’t fluent in right after I graduated. It was tough but it was such a formative experience I’d encourage more people to travel like this!
Waah beautiful post! Love Love Love it! This past year I was working alone in China. I went to a smaller city, so similar to you I felt alone. It wasn’t until my last two months there that I learned some of these lessons that you mentioned. I love being with my family, but I am missing traveling alone. Can’t wait to get my work visa to return to China!
Thanks for sharing this with us.
WOW China must have been fantastic! I’ve never travelled to Asia but it’s definitely on my list.
Great post! I’ve never traveled alone, but it’s something I think I might like to try once!
Definitely do! It’s so worth it even if it’s quite tough at times.
Wow I don’t know if I would ever have the courage to live in a foreign country on my own for a year!
Wow I don’t know if I would ever have the courage to live in a foreign country on my own for a year!
This is such a great post for those wanting to travel solo. I have never done it before, and don’t think I ever could. I would be way to scared to.
You don’t have to travel alone for months on end, you could start just doing a weekend and see how you like it – it does take some getting used to though.
You can learn so much about yourself from traveling alone and so glad that you really enjoyed traveling alone! Great post š
So true, glad you liked the post Kristen š
i always have unexpected ( and good) surprises when traveling alone! love your great tips!!
Thanks, Ananda!
I really get what you are saying! I moved to Germany to years ago and my first year it was awful! I missed my friends and I cried me to sleep every night. But I discovered so much about myself and I got “out of the woods”!
This is awesome. I don’t usually travel alone because I typically have friends or A with me, but these are great tips for if I do!
Being alone and doing things on my own always gave me so much anxiety as I was growing up. Now being in my mid-twenties and married, I’ve learned that it’s important to do things alone. I know look forward to my work trips because it gives me a chance to reconnect with myself and take time do things for me. Thanks for this!
I usually prefer to be with people but from time to time I like some time alone! These were some great points for sure
Wow! I can be such a “fraidy cat” that I’m not so sure I could travel alone. I would constantly think of the movie Taken and things along those lines. However, if I could get past that, I feel like it would be pretty empowering. I can see that!
Traveling solo is actually on my bucket list! I think it would be pretty scary but also really fun! You get to see and do whatever YOU want which is awesome.
I’m currently living in Italy alone and your statements couldn’t be more true. I think it is defiantly important to not overlook the simple pleasures. During my time in Italy I have learned so much about my self. Everyday feels like an accomplishment as it is the first time I truly felt independent. I’ve had my many struggles but I view each as an accomplishment. I just feel so empowered by myself.
-Danielle
A lot in the post really resonated with me. I’m not traveling alone at the moment, but I have been making sure to do things alone. For years, I was hung up on going to events or doing activities only if I had someone to do them with. As of late, I’ve been stepping out on my own and it’s been a blast!
I never wanted to travel alone until these past few years. I haven’t done it yet (my anxiety is holding me back a bit) but I know I will soon. There’s just something that screams independence and freedom when I think of travelling alone!
Travelling can indeed teach you a lot of lessons. When I was still a university student, I also traveled around here and there, nothing really grand, just within the country. After graduating, I was really glad to be free and travel many parts of the world, mostly through kosher cruises. Having alone time gives you opportunities to reflect, and experiencing different cultures everywhere allows you to grow so much as a person. This is why I love travelling and Iām not stopping any time soon.