The Hardest Parts of Solo Travel

Yes, solo travel is amazing. I believe the benefits that come from it outweigh the downsides. However, it would be completely unrealistic to pretend solo travel only has upsides. There are many difficult aspects that are important to talk about. Different types of people are affected by the hard parts of solo travel in different ways, affecting them more or less based on how they deal with stuff.

Leaving New Friends:











When I was solo traveling I was able to make so many new friends very easily. Everyone wants to make friends and everyone is on the same page, looking for the same outcomes from their trips. The friendships I was making grew into strong connections very quickly because we were forced to get to know each other in such a short amount of time. We were doing so many new things and experiencing all of these new adventures for the first time together, which made us even closer. The feeling of becoming best friends with people, feeling like you’ve known them forever, and then realizing there is an expiration date, is very tough and makes you feel a bit lost when that date comes around. I remember creating great friendships in a particular place and then all of us suddenly having to split up to go our own ways to all different places.

Arriving in a place after leaving the place you grew so happy and comfortable in with people you felt you got to know very well was such a weird feeling. It almost felt exhausting having to do it all over again. I however found that I kept making just as many amazing connections wherever I went which made it all worth it. Each place was so charming and special in its own way and even though moving on was hard, it let in the new. This is a great example of how the benefits outweighed the downsides.

Feeling Lonely:














As someone who never ever tends to get lonely, I was surprised to find myself getting lonely at certain times during my trip. If you are already the kind of person who prefers to have people around, this could be extra hard for you. Like I said, I am very independent and hardly ever get lonely. However there is something about being in a whole new country and culture alone versus just being alone at home, college, or wherever you are comfortable. With that said, the times I felt lonely only helped me to grow and become even more comfortable on my own. Looking back now there are so many traits I have that I can thank my solo travel for, by overcoming these hardships. I 100% think that these feelings of loneliness and feeling down, make the ups that much better. I am actually kind of thankful for these bouts of loneliness, it showed me that I am human and that it is normal to feel this way, to not let it ruin the entire experience but to take it in and learn from it, letting it eventually pass. It made me realize that what I was doing was bold and courageous and so worth it in the end. Even though I say that it was all so worth it in the end, it doesn't mean you shouldn't be aware of it and consider how it might affect you based on your own personality and unique way of dealing with these emotions.