Hopefully when this post is published, I will be off on my first solo adventure in years: I’m going island hopping in Scotland! I’ll be visiting the Isles of Mull, Skye and Iona, which are all completely new to me. I’m hoping I see some puffins, some gorgeous blue sea and maybe even a little bit of sunshine.
I love travelling by myself. Of course, I would never say no to a family trip or a holiday with my partner or friends, but there is something magical about waking up in a completely new place by yourself. It feels brave and a little wild.
Of course, it can seem scary when you’re considering whether or not to do it. I know when I first told my parents that I was off to India on my own they maybe weren’t best pleased. But I don’t think I have had any scary experiences whilst travelling alone – I’ve always been careful (no dark alleys at night, kept an eye on my belongings and kept in touch with home, that sort of thing) and that’s not to say that there isn’t danger out there, it’s just not everywhere. I really believe that travelling alone is something everyone should experience at least once in their life.
Jaipur 
Dehli
So, if you are thinking about it and just need that extra little push to book that solo trip, let me tell you some of the reasons why I love it.
First, you won’t be lonely: people will always talk to you. You can be as alone or as sociable as you want on a solo trip. Sometimes you might want to strike up a conversation with the person sitting next to you at the bar, and sometimes you will just want to sit in peace and catch up on your travel diary with a drink. It’s completely up to you. If someone tries to talk to you and you’re not into it, do as you would at home and be polite but firm about shutting the conversation down. Same when trying to start a conversation – don’t take it personally if they don’t want to be chatty but in my experience most people will talk back if you try. I once ended up sharing a table with a family in New Orleans due to lack of seats in the restaurant. They ordered a platter of oysters and shared them with me while they told me all about their family history and their trip to New Orleans. I even got some recommendations for things to do while I was there. I also find that travelling alone makes me take more interest in people around me which is also great if, like me, you love a good ol’ people watch.
Two, you get to do what you want. Let me say that again with emphasis: you get to do what YOU want. It’s probably made me a terrible person to travel with now, to be honest, because I can forget that sometimes travelling with others can be about compromise and missing out on seeing the things you want to because you are doing what your friend wants to do instead. And that’s not a terrible thing, for example, on a trip to Belfast I went to the Titanic Museum because my friend really wanted to go and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. At the end of the day, you’re still away from home doing something different. But once you start planning your own itineraries around the things that you want to do, without having to worry about others, it is so freeing.
Three, restaurants can normally squeeze in that one extra person somewhere (and you can feel smug about queue hopping). I remember there was an amazing place in Phuket that always had a huge queue outside but I never had to wait long because they could find me a little solo spot for me.
Four, you will come back from a solo trip feeling different. Your confidence will have changed. It might feel subtle but once you’ve been away somewhere new and had to navigate that on your own, rock up at a hostel on your own, go and find somewhere to eat on your own, you’ll have a new-found resource of confidence. Believe me, I sometimes say to myself things like: if you can do something like go to Cambodia or India by yourself, you can do this work meeting. Your friends will be so inspired by you and your new found energy.
Five, you’ll have fun. You’re by yourself doing what you want to do, eating at the places you’ve had bookmarked on Instagram, chatting away when you want, and having some time to yourself when you want. How can you not have fun? You’re seeing the world (however close to home you may or may not go), on your terms.
So, be brave and book that trip! I hope you have a fantastic time.
Luggage & Scribble 