At first, I traveled alone because I had no other choice. I grew to love it. Traveling alone has become my standard. It does not bother me to be alone in the slightest. I have never felt lonely, not even one second in my life. I have never felt boredom. Loneliness and boredom are words I cannot understand easily. Traveling alone, I have the chance to reflect. I am as flexible as can be. I decide where to go and can even cancel the trip altogether, without any hard feelings. The decisions are all mine and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Being alone is freedom. And even though a travel buddy could make trips nicer, there would have to be a match. Adventure is important to me. Safety comes first but when that is settled, I am always up for some hitchhiking or hitting the road without any idea where to spend the night. This, for me, is life. And when I do it alone, I have time to relfect on life. On the big questions. Or, I get to look out of the train window for hours. Nobody to please but myself.
I found that I actually make friends on the road. People are curious about lone travelers. They might strike up a conversation. Who knows, why not make a friend for a day? I tend to like meeting people on the road. We both know this is most likely a one-time encounter. It means there’s a clean slate. We can be honest and have an interesting conversation, without holding anything back. Show the slightest interest in someone else traveling alone and you might end up having a memorable conversation. Lone travelers acknowledge each other and most likely feel the same way about traveling alone. Or, they’re interested in why you find yourself alone. It’s important to be confident about it, to keep yourself out of trouble. Sure, people might be interested in you, but in large cities a stranger alone can be an easy target. So know when to be alone or when to blend into a crowd. It’s something you learn over the years of traveling. When you travel alone, especially for many times, you’ll be far more aware of your own senses. They get fine-tuned. All noises, all people on a train, you’ll know what’s going on around you.
I travel alone because it’s easier. Friendships, for me, should consist of shared experiences. Not just looking at your phones in the same room. I would rather pass on that. Being on the road is improving yourself. You take full delight. And if you take someone, you actually develop the friendship. Either it ends on this trip or it improves by a tenfold. You’ll know if you’ve taken the right friend on the first day. When you miss a bus or don’t find a place to stay, it’s in these moments your and your friends’s characters show.
I was afraid to travel alone at first. Yet, I prefer to be alone as long as I don’t have the right company. And, this is how more people could feel. Go at it alone, love yourself first and seek no approval. If traveling alone comes up in you only once, you deep down know you want it. Even if you don’t have the courage just yet, it’s what you want and nothing should stop you of doing it alone. Be your own best friend and don’t let doubt stop you. You have this one life and this decision is what you will be proud of in the end. You have no obligation and are ultimately free. And, if you do meet a partner or travel buddy, that would be just great. Chances are likely you meet them on your trip. Stop wasting time, from now on it’s good vibes only and planning your first solo trip!
Stop seeking approval. You only need your own.
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