Traveling Alone 1.0

Adventures, food trips, facing your fears and being out of your comfort zone are some of the things you will experience when traveling alone.

2018 was my year of traveling, and it was fun. I have experienced a variety of feelings with all my travels because you do not know what is going to happen with all your travels but there are times in our lives that you must do a solo trip and have that part of your bucket list. I still have lots on my list to go to. This post is only part one and I will do a series about traveling alone.

Traveling alone is scary. I know because I have done it quite a few times. The experience itself is so liberating and exhilarating. Tons of activities that you can do when traveling alone. You can customize your travel plans. You can either pack it with lots of itineraries such as visiting museums, going to the market, doing some trails, and others. You can also just do one or two activities a day. Then the rest can be spent in your hotel if you have a pool or the Air BnB place you rented to unwind. When I went to Europe in 2018, I was alone and it was nerve-wracking. There is also more to say about traveling, there is also that benefit from knowing yourself more.

The experience itself is so liberating and exhilarating.

When you are on your own and you have to make decisions for yourself that you are not super comfortable with, you discover more about yourself. Not only that you get to face your fears but you also get to know the person inside you. It is quite fascinating what you see and also what you learn when you are behind the wheels and just having a quiet moment (please take note, I do not doze off). People have different ideas of what a soo adventure means, some think of it as an experience where they just wanted to unwind and sit on the beach with their margaritas. Some think of the wilderness where they want to immerse themselves with nature. I did an Oregon Coast trip in 2018, where I camped for three days. One out of the two nights I ended up in my car because my cheap tent cannot withstand the rain. Although I find that trip sad because I was recovering from a breakup, at the same time I find it freeing. I learned to enjoy the experience and surroundings.

Adolphe Bridge in Luxembourg

You will have shocking experience in your travels, so do not expect that it will be all smooth. I had some fiasco and some scary exposure to pickpocket. There was a part of the trip where my phone got stolen in one of my train rides if I remember from Luxembourg to Brussels but I managed to get it back because I told him, "You ain't messing with a brown person."I was having a nap, and he managed to get my phone from the front pocket of my shoulder bag. Take note; the front pocket of my shoulder bag is facing me, so how he did it, I was not sure but when I felt that swoosh of air. I knew my phone was gone. I stood up and I directly asked him, "Where is my phone?", he denied that it was with him but when I positioned myself close to the emergency lever, I was sure he got pretty alarmed. He opened his bag and gave my phone back and said, "Pardon, pardon, mademoiselle." I was ready to scandalize him, and I do not care if we get all delayed. I reported him to the police when I stepped out of the train station in Brussels.

That kind of situation will help you rely on yourself. I was not sure where I found that courage to face that thief but I do know I have to get my phone back. I trusted my heart and gut that this guy was so underhanded. Why would you sit in front of someone, wherein there are tons of vacant seats around? Talk about a chilling ordeal - a drive in the Coquihalla Highway in 2018, even if it was not snowing heavily, I trekked the highway to go to Kelowna to visit my goddaughters. Wow, what a dangerous road. I managed to make it without being on the ditch, but it was hair-raising, I must say. It sure earned me a badge of some sort for driving Coquihalla Highway during the winter. It gave me driving confidence for sure.

However, I know I only talk about the fun stuff of my travels, aside from the unnerving and horrendous encounters, one constant companion of doing a solo adventure is loneliness. I am very social but I also like my alone time. I know I have made that conscious decision to go on my own but at times, I get sad being alone in a restaurant. I just divert my attention to the food and the scenery. Safety is also a factor when traveling. It is important to let a family member know or a friend about your whereabouts. I ensure that I inform my siblings about my travels, as well as some friends, about where I am on a certain day. Going alone, I need that extra caution. I do my research with areas that I needed to avoid or thing that I should not display such as jewelry. Predators are everywhere, just like my train experience. Be extra careful.

Reflecting on my travel in 2018, I have learned so much and this year I have more places to see, yes, alone again. I am ready and looking forward to more adventures.