“Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education, in the elder, a part of experience.”
Solo trips have become an escape from reality rather than a plain tour. It is more often than not a spiritual and liberating experience that includes dome soul hunting.
People classify it as an art of finding themselves as they are away from the people they know and places they are used to. It is said that some alone time presents the best opportunity for introspection.
A solo trip becomes more than just a trip when the goal of personal nirvana is achieved. But, travelling solo isn’t just a piece of cake. Being entirely responsible for anything and everything can be overwhelming.
This makes us commit mistakes that can be avoided, and the best way to learn is from experience. And even an inexperienced person can learn from others’ journeys as it doesn’t always require committing mistakes to learn.
The world has seen Gulliver and his unexpected adventures. However, they sound exciting in a book but have you ever imagined what it’s like to actually live that?
What will be your reaction when you see an island of dwarfs walking up and down your bosom on waking up? Well, here are some tips to avoid that:
- Research:Francis Bacon once said, “He that travelleth into a country, before he hath some entrance into the language, goeth to school, and not to travel.
Thus, travelling solo requires us to be a guide, companion, friend, and tutor of ourselves. We cannot survive in France without either the knowledge of basic French or the idea to access a translation device. Though translation devices may help us, we have to rely on our senses in the advent of getting lost or weak connectivity. Also, a pre-planned schedule of destinations and locations ultimately helps us make the most of our visit.
- Transport and Accommodation: The mode of transport should be sorted out in the first place to save time and cost during the trip. Picking up places to stay can be a daunting task but a job that needs to be well done to commence the journey in a safe and hygienic neighbourhood. It will not be an exaggeration to say that lousy accommodation can ruin the whole trip.
- Blend In: “When in Rome, be like Romans.” This saying holds true as a foreign land will readily accept you if you show no signs of rebellion or misconduct. Preserving one’s individuality and identity is essential but not at the cost of compromising someone else’s sense of belonging.
- Respect the culture: The most crucial aspect of a solo trip to foreign lands is the need to respect the culture and identify oneself as someone who accepts the collective belief of everyone. In turn, blending with the local people will provide us with new and refreshing insights into life, friends, and fun.
- Observe: Observing the proximate surroundings becomes an immediate need as we do not have to speak unnecessarily when alone. To make the most out of being solo, the best way is to observe and retrospect.
- Be Bold and Confident: Never let anyone know that it’s your first time in the town or country or even if it is your first time alone, for that matter. Be bold while talking to people, do not hesitate and put yourself out there as the ultimate goal of such a trip is the intrinsic development rather than the instrumental approval of our peers.
- Do not go on a trip if you are not ready!: This may sound revolting, but the thumb rule of every trip is to return home safely, so if you think you are not prepared physically or mentally for such a trip, either postpone or cancel it.
- Take a pause: Remember the ultimate aim is not to visit as many places as possible, but to make the most of the visited one. So, it’s excellent to even hang out in a hotel room and do nothing. After all, the most significant perk of a solo trip is zero accountability to anyone.
- Always have a Plan B: If the current plan doesn’t work out, a plan b should always be there to reduce the panic and euphoria of travel. Always carry cash to meet emergency needs.
- The trip should have an end: The crucial part is to come home learned and improved. No matter how liberating a trip feels, it should have an end to balance the joy of being free and taking up routine tasks.
Remember, the mantra of any trip is to plan, eat as much as possible, sit back and relax and hustle when it feels like it. The journey itself should be enjoyable rather than the destinations. As long as we have these things in mind, the situation of Gulliver could be avoided.
