travelling solo.

i have been on my own again for the better part of two weeks, and i have had a lot of time to read, write in my journal, and just think. after five years of being busy almost every single day, i never realized how wonderful doing nothing could be. being alone in your own thoughts for hours, and days is certainly a growing experience. today, will tanning on the beach, i started thinking about what i have LOVED about travelling alone; and by extension, what i have disliked about it. like any other experience, there are good days, and bad days. but unlike many other experiences, the good days are REALLY good, and the bad days, well, they suck. i think travelling alone, with its pros and cons, is something everyone should do at least once in their lives. in budapest, i met a man whose wife had recently started a new job. he had always wanted to backpack, so off he went to eastern europe for three weeks. i love that he had the guts to do that. i have met other people who are shocked and amazed upon meeting me. how could i travel alone? don't i get scared? aren't i lonely? i actually go to restaurants by myself? answer to all of the above: yes, yes, and yes. but, there is absolutely nothing more empowering, exciting and life-altering than navigating the world, and doing it on my own.

*when travelling alone, you are on your own schedule. you can do whatever you want, whenever you want, for however long you want. you do not have to compromise with anyone.
*you do not have to worry about arguing, fighting, disagreeing, stepping on anyone's toes, or being misinterpreted. no friendships can be broken or lost, and you do not have to argue about who is going to take the aisle seat.
*you do not have to argue over who will hold the map! because it is ALWAYS you, and you alone, who has to get your bearings in a new city.
*you have all the time in the world: to read, to write, to think. i have read more books and written more in my journal in these past three months than in the past five years put together.
*when travelling solo, you meet copious amounts of new people. often, people who travel in groups are less likely to make new friends on the road - because they aren't interested, or they don't need to. you can travel with them for a few hours, or a few days, and then go in seperate directions.

on the other hand:

*travelling solo can lead to loneliness. you can go hours, if not days without having a real conversation with someone. you are constantly chatting small talk: where you are from, what you do, how long you are travelling for. you begin to crave a meaningful conversation with someone who truly knows you.
*it is more difficult to sleep. i mean this in several capacities. firstly, it is hard to sleep in public places, because there is no one to keep an eye on your stuff. you are clutching your purse, using your bag as a pillow. there are so many horror stories of backpackers being robbed while sleeping on the train. as well, it is more difficult to find accomodation for one person. in hostels, there are often dorm rooms; but in places like croatia, guestrooms have been designed for couples, and few people want to rent to one person because they cannot charge as much. sometimes they even try and charge one person the price of TWO.
*evenings. during the day, it is easy to fill up your time by walking around, sightseeing, going to a park etc. but in the evenings, there are less things for a person to do alone, particularly a female. you get tired of going to restaurants and bars alone, and walking home alone in the dark is something i try to avoid.
*you are often on guard. i don't want to sound like i am always worrying, because i am not, but you really have to think about who you can trust. i probably am a bit TOO trusting, while many other female backpackers are TOO paranoid. in my experience, the world is generally filled with extremely nice people. however, travelling alone, you cannot take chances. perhaps someone genuinely wants to help you carry your bags, but the tourist books, and everyone at home would say 'warning warning'. it is something that is often on your mind.
*travelling alone is more expensive: you have no one to share accomodations with, share groceries, or split the cost of a rental car.

these are only the first things that came to mind. i am sure there are dozens more positive and negative things about travelling alone. in my opinion, the good certainly outweigh the bad, and i wouldn't have changed anything about this trip!

when i first travelled alone to australia, katie made me a mix cd that started with the song that goes, 'here i go now, on my own'. i still think of it as my theme song to my travels.