Flying Solo

"Don't wait for someone else to start living your life" - Unknown

Something I had to come to terms with when I decided to live abroad was that I wasn’t going to wait for someone else to live my life. I know it is crazy but I felt a little guilty about moving abroad at the beginning. It is something people talk about doing, but for me it wasn’t just chit chat. I made a real decision to move. We only have one life after all. I decided that I might as well live it to the fullest. One of my goals during my first year in Spain was to take advantage of the opportunity to explore more of the world and visit other countries. At the beginning, I didn't know who wanted to travel or how to plan a trip with someone else. I didn't want to wait, so I made the decision to take a leap of faith and travel solo. There were a couple different ways I did this. Here are some of my thoughts and reflections on my experiences traveling solo.

To ease myself into the idea of traveling solo, I first signed up for a group trip to Morocco. During this three day trip, I visited Tanger and the Blue City. Going into the trip, I did not know anyone but felt comfortable joining alone because I heard a lot of good things about the organization running the trip. I had an absolute blast on the trip. The days were jammed packed with lots of fun activities from walking the streets, to visiting scarf and spice shops, to visiting the coast, and even riding camels. The organization took care of planning all these activities, booking lodging, and transportation. I found this to be helpful because I did not know the language or culture as well as they did. They also knew what activities other people enjoyed in the past to help make a memorable trip. Furthermore, they knew trusted places to eat to help prevent us from getting sick. Overall I really enjoyed going on this trip alone. It forced me to talk with people I wouldn’t normally talk with while also allowing me to feel safe while exploring a different country and culture.

The next solo trip I took was truly solo. I planned the activities, booked the lodging, and ate mostly on my own. During the five day break, I based myself in Manchester, U.K. and did a day trip to the Lake District and to Wales. To help boost my confidence with traveling solo, I chose the U.K. because of the shared language. I knew wherever I went I would be able to communicate and ask for help if needed. Leading up to the trip, I did a lot of research to make sure I felt safe and comfortable. My detailed research came in handy when I needed extra activities or locations to go to. For example, most of the activities I planned for the first day in Manchester did not take as long as expected and having the list gave me quick ideas on what was affordable to do nearby. One fear about traveling solo is being lonely. In order to avoid this I made sure to sign up for a few group tours to make sure I had social interactions. I also made an effort to chat with my roommates or people in the common spaces in the hostel. I actually found that traveling without friends or family helped me to become more outgoing.

Throughout the five days in the U.K, I became more comfortable just starting up a conversation. One of the lessons I learned during this trip related to confidence. In spending more time than normal alone with my thoughts and stepping out of my comfort zone with social situations I found myself becoming more comfortable with myself. My self esteem improved and thus my overall confidence improved as well. I also learned to trust myself and my gut more, which also added to the increase in confidence. These little aspects of solo traveling make the journey worth it. At times it is certainly difficult, but I wouldn’t trade the experiences for anything.

During my third solo trip, I headed down to southern Spain for a total of eight days. I hit several cities, including Córdoba, Granada, Málaga, and Sevilla. During this solo trip I tested out my ability to navigate in a country where I sort of understand the language. Similar to my trip to Manchester I did a bit of research beforehand and made sure I knew about different activities. I also planned a few group trips and lodging where I would have the chance to interact with others in order to maintain some social connections.

The trip started off strong. My planning came in handy, and I had a blast exploring the different cities. One of the highlights of the first few days was being able to chat with the lady I rented a room from the first night in Córdoba. She was originally from Venezuela, but had lived in Spain for close to a decade. It was so fun hearing about her experiences and some of the local traditions around Semana Santa (which is Holy Week, the week leading up to Easter). Here again, I would say that I found a boost in confidence, especially with my ability to navigate in Spanish. During this trip, I also had some really good, intimate conversations with God that helped give me some direction for the future. I found having more quiet time allowed me the opportunity to hear Him better than when surrounded with the daily routine.

I loved visiting all the historical sites and being able to take in all that the different cities had to offer at my own pace. However, I found that I couldn’t keep up with the pace I set. I found with the longer trips having fully booked back to back days can be exhausting. One thing I learned during this trip is the importance of balance. It is good to have a list of activities to do, but it is also important to sometimes just sit and relax in a park, especially if there is a full week of travel. Towards the middle of the trip I also started to struggle with having a bit too much alone time. Thankfully, God knows just what we need when we need it even before we do. Some friends of mine had planned their own trip to southern Spain around the same time and we bumped into each other in Málaga and Sevilla. They helped me slow down a little bit and helped bring me out of my slowly spiraling thoughts. It also gave us a chance to get to know one another better. Part of solo traveling is being blessed with unexpected opportunities and friendships. I certainly found this to be true during my jaunt through southern Spain.

Each of these trips built on the other till I came to the point I felt confident enough to travel to a country where I didn’t speak an ounce of the language. My most recent solo trip took me to Italy. This trip was a bit unique as I went with the intention of teaching at a summer camp. However, there were several days where I went off on my own to explore. Of all my trips, this one I did the least amount of research for and I definitely noticed the difference. I felt less confident using the public transportation system between areas. I felt like I scrambled to find activities and things to do within my budget. Plus with it being summer, the weather was super hot. I found it hard to know where to go to cool off and take a break from the heat. Despite my lack of research I still enjoyed my time. I visited Salerno, Naples, Pompeii, and Paestum. I had the chance to see some Roman and Greek ruins while also eating some yummy pizza and pasta. In terms of navigating the language, since I often was near major, touristic cities, if I had a question I could normally find someone to ask who understood a bit of English. Despite the lack of planning and at times feeling very lost or confused, I still enjoyed my time.

Solo traveling is a lot of fun. It builds confidence, creates cross cultural connections, and allows for new and unexpected opportunities and experiences. I have learned a lot on the few solo trips I have taken. I am so thankful that God has allowed me these trips to grow in my confidence and in my relationship with Him. I can’t wait for my next adventure and the lessons to be learned!

How about you? What tips and tricks have you learned in your traveling adventures? Leave a comment with advice or a fun story to share with others!