Battling Loneliness While Traveling Solo
I have traveled solo numerus times and always find that at some point, loneliness creeps in. When you are traveling on your own, it is easy to miss routine and familiar conversations. I would consider myself an introvert and more of a listener than a talker. Battling loneliness while traveling solo is real but here are a few ways to deal with it.
I took a trip out to Australia solo; having been there before I was excited. Until, I got on my overnight flight and fell asleep. I woke up two hours later to find that we never took off. There was a medical emergency on the plane, while they got that taken care of, we had to wait for available airspace to take off. Therefore, I arrived over two hours later, had to catch a different train and found out that the bus that I was told to catch was not running that day.
The flight from LA to Brisbane, AUS is around 13 hours. By the time I arrived and got going I was physically and emotionally spent. I happened to be taking the train to Australia Zoo that day and the tram driver from the train stop to the zoo completely saved the day. He noticed that I had a suitcase with me and asked where I was headed. This trip in particular, I was headed out to the Steve Irwin Wildlife reserve with the Australia Zoo team to help with crocodile research.
He offered to dive me to my hotel at the end of the day and even picked me up in the morning to get me back to the zoo. Moral of the story, angels always show up when you need them most. It gets easier, I promise, but here are few things that I find to help when life on the road or abroad seems to be too much to handle. Battling loneliness can be tough but if you can push through the rewards are incredible.
A Favorite Book
When I am out on the road I usually pack a book that I love and one that I want to read. There is nothing worse than packing a new book to find that it really doesn’t spark your interest. If it is one that you have started and are invested in or the next part of a series that you already know that you like then a new book isn’t such a gamble.
I have a few favorites that I usually choose from that I am happy to reread from time to time. Everyone has their own taste but pick one that inspires you and sparks your curiosity and wanderlust.
Weather you find yourself out camping, couch surfing or in a hotel you will always find moment of silence to fill. Getting lost in a book is one of my favorite ways to pass the time.
Battling Loneliness with wanderlust-
Here are a few of my favorites and recommendations:
Paris For One – JoJo Moyes
What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding – A Memoir – Kristin Newman
I’ll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles – Patrick Gray & Justin Skeesuck
After You – JoJo Moyes
Still Me – JoJo Moyes
The Kindness of Strangers – Fearghal O’Nuallain
Tiger’s Curse – Collen Houck
Watch or Stream Movies when Battling Loneliness
Portable DVD Player
There are several ways to watch your favorite moves of shows. When I am traveling in my camper van, I usually pack several of my favorite movies or shows that I have on DVD and have a little portable DVD player.
Streaming
However, if I get to a campsite with wifi, I can connect to a streaming service. Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, you’ve got endless possibilities. Indulge in a guilty pleasure, a new show or a movie that you’ve been wanting to watch. I am not one to sit down and watch tv often, it might be on in the background but I find that I can really enjoy a movie out on the campsite.
Battling Loneliness by Stay Busy
Maybe it is just me, but when I go somewhere new I want to see everything and actually experience it. If I have things to do and see planned out, loneliness doesn’t sink in. I love hiking and love including a good hike into my itinerary. When I am out on the road with my dogs, we hike every day that we can.
Not all locations are hiking friendly at least not by a conveniently located hotel. When I went to Cusco, Peru, I took a day trip out to Humantay Lake for a lovely but challenging hike. However, that did require an early pick up time, a long bus ride to and from and joining a group of people.
Talk to the locals!
I’ll admit that I am a complete introvert and this has not always been in my comfort zone. Most of the time I leave on a trip it is to get away and to find some peace and solitude. Having said that, I have always had wonderful luck just approaching the locals at a restraunt, shop or hotel desk to learn about the area or ask for recommendation. Most of the locals will appreciate your business and would be happy to strike up a conversation.
Indulge in a guilty pleasure
Maybe it is a movie or show that you like to watch. A book or writing, adult coloring books? It is completely up to you! Do something that everyday life doesn’t allow you to do. You are in control of your schedule and I encourage you to make time for thing that you want to do while your responsibilities are limited.
I don’t typically leave a lot of downtime in my schedule and have places that I would like to get to almost every day. I always find that the first day alone is the hardest. If you can push though and remind yourself of the things you are excited about the loneliness will subside.
Go Local when Battling Loneliness
Seek out a local restraunt or shop that enjoy it. I rarely eat alone but I find that when I am traveling solo I enjoy the down time. On my first solo trip, I had a few days in London. I flew out of South Africa, had an 8 hour layover in Amsterdam, which I took a quick trip out into the city. From there, I got into London in the early evening. I checked into my hotel and got a recommendation for a nice dinner.
After a long two days I decided to splurge on a nice meal. The family own Italian restraunt was right down the road and it gave me time to look through my map and orient myself with my new location. The meal was lovely. Sitting down gave me time to wind down and refuel when I really needed it. Especially in tourist areas, it is not uncommon to see solo travelers enjoying a meal between adventures. Embrace the time you have to yourself and throw any self-conscious thoughts aside.
Some Responsibility is Not a Bad Thing
I usually bring a small, somewhat not time sensitive bit of work with me. Sometimes having something that needs to get done is the perfect distraction. I suppose it depends on what you do for a living but I usually have list that need typed out, classes for certification or website edits that need updated. Most of the time, I prefer to not bring tons of work with me but having some responsibility is a good connection to life outside of adventure.
Learn Something New
The Local Dialect
I have a list a mile long of things I would like to learn. When I travel internationally, I usually pull up my DuoLingo app to get the basics of whatever language I’ll be around. I’ll be the first to admit that I do not catch on to foreign languages quickly but I can at least learn the basics and words or phrases that I might need.
Local Sites & History
Learning about what it is that I am touring tends to give the sights more depth. I remember visiting the Acropolis Museum the first day I arrived in Athens, Greece. There is a bookstore in the museum, where I bought two books on Greek mythology and history. I had reading material for the rest of my trip.
India had such an interesting History and belief. Learning about their culture and then experiencing it was incredible. On my trip to India, our group stayed in a small village palace. Upon arrival, we were greeted with real flower lays and a bindi. Later on, some the local village girls came over to give us traditional henna tattoos. Learning about the traditions and then getting to experience them is one of the best aspects of travel.
I love Pinterest and find so much information while browsing. The amount of information that you can find pertaining to different subjects is enough to keep anyone busy. Learn something new – new recipes, travel hacks, new DIY or understanding a new subject.
Battling Loneliness by Taking Pictures and Videos
I love taking pictures, even if I never post some of them. Take picture and videos for entertainment and a way to look back on your favorite moments. When I start to feel homesick, looking back on what a trip I have had so far, helps me tough it out until the next fun moment comes up.
I get great pictures on my IPhone but I always travel with my Cannon 80D DSLR with a hybrid lens (16mm-300mm). My DSLR has a Wi-Fi feature that allows me transfer my high resolution photos onto my phone for easy posting. I also use Snap Seed often to edit my pictures. I usually take some time to pick out my favorite photos from the day and make some minor tweaks to them to really make the shine.
It’s Okay to Reach Out or Not
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to totally disconnect to have a proper vacation. It is 100% okay to reach out to friends and family when you are feeling alone. There are so many different ways to communicate now and you do not need to isolate yourself to get away and enjoy yourself.
Having said that, it is also completely okay to remove yourself from your normal life completely. Sometime we need to get away completely to regroup and feel recharged. You are surrounded by so many people and places that you don’t know. If that is the only social interaction that you crave while you are away, do what you need.
I am usually a little bit of both of these. I tend to isolate myself and just enjoy being out of my normal routine; but I always stay in contact with my mom. It is nice to have a familiar voice to talk to and keep up with any important information going on back home.
Most of the time, I am more than happy to live as a nomad but loneliness get the best of us from time to time. I encourage you to find ways to combat loneliness and stick it out.
My first real solo trip, was to South Africa. I started with a volunteer project for two weeks. Then I met up with a friend who lived in the area and ended my trip on a safari for several days. The first day was rough, especially considering the small amount of sleep that I had. However, I really started to feel homesick when I left my friend’s house and was completely alone on the safari.
The tour I booked picked me up and take me out into the bush. I was the first pick up followed by two other pick-ups that were all men. I was 23 and on my own in a different country for the first time. We proceeded to pick up a few really interesting and friendly ladies. I had the most incredible time on my safari and am so glad that I didn’t let fear and loneliness stop me from this adventure.
It doesn’t matter if it is a domestic trip or international; you are going to see amazing things, meet interesting people and create fantastic memories, so long as you stick it out and stay open to new opportunities.
