4 Things I’ve Learned from My Solo Travel So Far
Hi all! So, it has been more than a week since I arrived in Ecuador for my solo travel adventure. I did a lot of things after getting to this amazing country, including flying to the Galapagos Islands, spending the New Years with amazing individuals, eating my first lobster, and also taking my first ever surfing class, which I just did a few hours ago and now I’m actually ready for bed. However, before I tuck in and sleep at 7 PM, I thought I would share what I learned from my solo travel trip so far:
1. I learned how to be alone
Usually, I find myself alone and lonely, but this trip taught me how to be alone without necessarily feeling lonely. In me being alone, I found myself observing and noticing the smallest of things, like the color of someones dress, random posters on the wall, kids walking with their parents, and more other random things that you don’t usually notice with other people. These things amuse me so much that I’m always entertained and loneliness was not something I felt. I accepted the fact that I was alone and that loneliness is a choice; you can choose to feel it or you can choose to feel some other type of way.
2. Solo travel does not mean you are always by yourself
If someone had asked me what was the most wonderful part of solo travel, my answer would be meeting people. I met fellow travelers and locals who always greeted me with a new story. I’ve encountered not only Ecuadorians, but also Argentinians, Canadians, Americans, people from all over Europe, Filipinos, Taiwanese and so many more. Yes, I am on a solo travel adventure, but I’m never 100% by myself.
3. Look for local friends
I was lucky enough to have a friend living in Guayaquil and even luckier when this friend of mine took me to so many places that I would have not gone to by myself. Personally, my favorite spots were when food was involved. Honestly, if you have a local friend in that country, try to meet up and get them to recommend awesome places to go and to eat (better yet if they take you there). You can always return the favor in your home country or in other events!
4. If you are comfortable, you are doing it wrong.
Solo travel is that one chance to get out there and for me, it was my one chance to get out of my comfort zone. Trust me, I have so many embarrassing stories after this trip, and some actually occurred today when surfing and doing yoga. But hey, I’m not really going to see these people again; so I thought “whatever”. During the evenings, I did update my social media and talk to the family (I don’t go out in the evenings alone much), but during the day I definitely tried to be out as much as possible.
So much more to come!
And so, ladies and gentleman, those are the top things I’ve learned so far during this trip. I apologize for the lack of articles. It really is quite hard to find functioning Wi-Fi and enough time to write and upload pictures. I hope you like this post at least, and I will surely bring more to the blog next time. Now if you will excuse me, I’m heading for bed (it’s 6.30 PM by the way). Happy travels to you!