THINGS SOLO TRAVELERS FEEL DURING THEIR TRAVELS

Solo Traveling definitely has its perks. There is the journey towards self-discovery, and then there are the frustrations of traveling solo and being in a foreign country where you are taken out of your comfort zone.

During my travels, I have personally experienced many things that solo travelers feel. Here is a list of them.

Travel Loneliness

This is probably the Number One feeling out there for Solo Travelers. When you are by yourself in a foreign country with no friends, it can get really lonely.

I have to admit, I’ve been a bit on the lucky side and met some great friends along the way. I also got the opportunity to fall in and out of love. The thing is, there is always that one thought in the back of my head that my home is not here and that all my long-term close friends and family are back in my home country.

But here is the twist. What’s to say that the friends you meet during your travels will not be part of your life in the long-run? What’s to say that the person that you fall in love with during your travels will not be part of your life forever? You just will never know. So go out there and meet people. Make new friends. Fall in love.

Have faith. You can really make your dreams come true if you work hard at it. The key point is hard work and dedication.

The current country you are in can become your new permanent home if you choose to do so.

Travel Burnout

Even the most avid traveler will experience travel burnout sooner or later. This feeling can occur either in the beginning of your travels, a month in, or even a year down the line. For me, this happened roughly 3-weeks into my travels.

When you are constantly switching hotels/hostels and jumping from city to city every few days, it definitely gets tiring. There is too much sensory overload and unfamiliarity, and all you crave is some routine and comfort.

Here are some suggestions I can personally give that works:

• SLOW DOWN. Not every day has to be packed with activities. It is OKAY to be lazy on certain days, lounge around in your hotel room and do nothing, or put on your favorite Netflix or TV Show and binge watch the hell out of it.
• TREAT YOURSELF. This means spending that extra amount of money to enjoy a lavish meal. Not every meal has to be from eating the cheapest street food or $1 sandwiches from the local convenience store. You are traveling after all, and you have to enjoy both cheap and expensive food.
• RELAX. This means hitting up a local spa or (legit) massage parlor and getting that relaxing massage that you so deserve. After all, planning that travel trip is not always without difficulties.
• ATTEND LOCAL WORKSHOPS OR EVENTS. Meetup groups are a great way to meet locals and/or other people like yourself. Just becoming friends with one new person opens up doors to other new friendships. You will be surprised at who you are able to meet. Often times, you can also learn something new from the workshop or event, so even if you do not meet anyone new, at least you have that experience to remember and share with your friends and family.

The Need to Settle In

After you have been in a country you love for a while, you will want to settle in. This means not constantly staying in hotels or hostels or bumming off your old/new friends.

There are many ways to find a place to rent, such as through AirBnb or Facebook Groups.

You can finally have a place to call “home.” Even if it might be temporary, having a comfortable “home” for your personal space makes a big difference.

Admit it, even the most extroverted people will need their own space.

Furthermore, you can finally purchase items that you like and not be limited to the space you have in your luggage bag.

Running Low on Money

This issue will come up sooner or later, whether you have a lot saved up or not. For those lucky enough to have enough savings to travel the world for a year or more, you will still realize that your savings is depleting.

Of course, when worse comes to worse, you can take on some jobs that are offered, such as teaching English. Or, you can be like me and start your own business. Tips on how to do that in future posts.

If you do not have a way to make some income on the side, your traveling dreams will soon come to an end.

The Dreaded Feeling of Returning Home

“The most difficult part of traveling is that dreaded feeling of having to return home.”

Yes, my family and close friends are there, but I enjoy living away from home. For me, it is a fresh start in life, and this is the only way I can really focus on myself without the distractions and comfort of home. I can only depend on myself to get things done, and if it doesn’t work out, I only have myself to blame.

Being home means it is really easy to fall back into bad habits and routines. You can easily get another job that pays the bills, but if you did not enjoy your previous job to begin with, you will not want to fall back into that routine.

Freedom and Independence

Being away means freedom to do whatever you want, whenever you want. You decide your own fate, whether it is hopping onto the next midnight train to the middle of nowhere or spontaneously buying a ticket to a nearby country, the freedom is yours.

Responsibility

You are responsible for your own fate and survival. There is no mommy or daddy to go running back to when times get tough. There is no safety net. If you want to continue traveling, then it is up to you to decide how to generate income for those travels.

What do you think of this article? Is there anything I am missing? Leave your comments below!