It’s been nearly 4 months since I’m traveling solo and I’d like to wrap up on what’s been going on. There are so many myths and presumptions about solo travel, some of which put a lot of people off it. It’s a shame because once you overcome the initial fears and stand somewhere on your own, it’s an unparalleled feeling of freedom as you’re free to go just anywhere and do anything you please. It’s a unique experience.

Lone wolf

First huge misconception people have is that solo travel translates to being alone, wandering through foreign environments like a stranger, spending a lot of time on your own, living like a monk or lone wolf. While this is certainly true at times, in my experience, this has mostly not been the case. Wherever you go, you’re always interacting with someone - be it other solo travelers seeking each other’s company, friendly locals to share a few words or big smile with and many many other interesting people you meet along the way. I found myself alone when I wanted to be (sometimes I’m tired of people or simply need time for myself), but likewise, I could always hang out with someone when I wanted to (aka find the nearest bar and see what’s up out there).

Meaning of life?

Solo travel means a lot of freedom. You connect with other travelers when your plans are similar and when they’re not, you don’t and go off your way. Solo travel means independence, self-reliance and mental-proofing. Moreover, you begin to learn and understand more about yourself, which becomes a nice purpose of the journey. You can do whatever you want, making no compromise. Why is that so important?

As you unleash your wants and turn them into your haves, you begin doing what you are truly passionate about and these things should naturally translate into happiness or satisfaction. This way, you might have just found your answer to the very difficult question of trying to find a purpose in life.

Personally I found happiness to be something very special and my outmost desire. With this trip, I was able to turn my wants into haves, make my dream come true as I realised that happiness is a simple goal I’d like to chase, in its ever changing forms (people, travel, work, sports amd other passions).

My little rebellion of going to travel instead of getting a job is unlike what they tell you should do. That your purpose is to study to get a “good job” to become a money making and seeking machine, for you to to support your often material desires (bigger house, better car, new phone..), leisure (four weeks of “vacation” per year) and family. But are you truly happy living this way??

For me, unique experiences that cannot be bought with money (only to a certain extent) made me realise life is not all about money, money only makes life more simple. On the other hand, it is working out every morning that makes me feel better, watching the stars and waking up to a beautiful sunrise that’s so good, it’s the mountains and incredible sceneries that always put a big smile on my face just like a warm welcome from local people and their friendship.. It’s the little things, it’s about the value they bring you. Having money is nice, but it’s far less important than I thought, money as a goal is overrated. Think twice.

Discovery

Since being on my own, I’ve met a lot of people just because there wasn’t someone else to do the talking. I mean I do seek other people because I don’t have a travel partner and this makes my journey more interesting as I’m more likely to interact with locals. Like so, I learn something about their culture, life and opinions, which makes for a wholly different experience. I do like to hear people’s story. I do not travel to be on a one year vacation, by the poolside or on the beach in a 4* hotel. Instead, I do like to seek authentic experiences, learn, understand and discover something new, something I didn’t know before. Travel is a journey that’s about yourself and people in diverse environments and cultures. You learn so much from it.

Time is yours

You have a lot of time for yourself - to think about important stuff in life. lol. You can completely forget about Monday or Friday, you’re free to wake up and fall asleep with the sun, to let time be, it’s a relative thing. Time is yours. Take this opportunity to read or exercise, to do the things you never have time for because you’re busy. Stop and enjoy something (ice cream?).

Especially when I traveled by bicycle or camped out, everyday started with a small ritual - yoga, breakfast and coffee. I had plenty of time to think all day while I was pedaling. The evenings were great to write and reflect on my experiences, to read my favourite book or watch a movie before going to sleep.

There were always minor problems to worry about and things that kept me busy - thinking about routing, where I’d go and where I’d sleep, what I’d eat; endless fixing of the gear and bike; setting up camp, cooking, washing etc. You’re in full control of your schedule, you don’t “have to do” anything.

Purpose

I realised what made me go on this journey. It was the desire for adventure, going to wild or remote places. That’s the big dream I began chasing. And I am lucky it came true. South America was so distant for me in my mind before I went, yet hiking in the Andes mountains and jungle became real. North American wilderness and nature was again something I wanted to experience, it was a dream to go off the grid there and travel independently, being on the road and camping in the woods. I didn’t have expectations, but my experience certainly went above and beyond these. Some people travel for a cause, to raise money for charity. That wasn’t the purpose of this trip. I wanted to live my dream, to fill my life with adventure and I fulfilled this purpose perfectly.

Some people travel to runaway from something, from society, work or responsibility. Everybody has a reason to hit the road. However, I’m not saying everybody should travel, what I’m trying to say is that everybody should do something they’ve always wanted to do or try out. It’s never too late.

Why not?

You can see that solo travel made me think a lot. Maybe it doesn’t make any sense at all, who knows. But now, is it better to travel solo or with someone? I don’t think I have a single answer for you.

In my experience, it was really nice to travel South America with my friend Simon and I wouldn’t want to travel alone there with a backpack. By having a travel partner, you have someone to support you in rough times, to prove you right or wrong (preventing you from doing something stupid), to judge if that stranger is (not) trustworthy. You have someone you know sitting next to you on those long bus or train journeys, which is really important as having snoring, stinky, disrespectful or loud stranger next to you for over 12hrs is annoying and I’m not even talking about those who might try to rob you while you sleep. At other times, it’s really good to share your experience with someone else. We certainly discussed the things we’ve seen and experienced a lot. And these discussions often included a visit to some of the strangest bars to which I would never go alone (I don’t like to go to bars alone).

Another point being that traveling solo is more expensive. You can divide many things by the number of travel partners, be it 2 or 3, which means you can grab some great bargains. Accommodation is suddenly so much cheaper (as price is quoted per tent/room), transport as well (taxi, boat, tuk tuk, car or scooter rental can be shared), cooking food is more economical (you don’t waste as much gas). In case something happens (your credit card gets stolen or such), having a friend can be a lifesaver. Life is better when shared.

However, after 7 months of spending virtually 24 hours with the same person, it’s also nice to take a break. At first, being on my own was a huge challenge for me, I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to do that, to go off alone, it was strange. During some of the first days in the USA, I did trust some complete strangers and I’m not sure it was a smart move from me. There wasn’t the other person to prove me right or wrong, to tell me ‘hey, you shouldn’t trust this person’. But I took the shot and was lucky - see Orlando. I am really thankful for my wonderful friends on the West Coast - Shaula, JD, Natalie and Hudson - for making this transition less painful. I learned from my mistakes, here I am, 4 months later, incredibly happy I made the decision to continue on my own. I grew up a little (that’s what my mum said) and I am much better at navigating unknown situations and coping with new challenges.