Solo travel has been credited to unleash a journey within oneself since decades and this culture is coming to life now, more than ever. Some of the primary concerns with solo travel are generally safety and boredom, both of which need to be safeguarded before one embarks on this journey.
Speaking from my personal experience, the destination, length of stay and weather play a very important role in the entire experience. Last year, I decided to do a little soul searching of my own but because I also wanted to play it safe, I chose London. London for me has been a city I’m extremely familiar with post university (having studied there for a year) while also being a city who’s vibe and culture I resonate with.
Having chosen a timeframe of 2 weeks, this food-filled summer vacation began somewhere in mid August, making it the most wonderful weather to visit the country. With a backup plan of having university friends an hour and a half away in Oxford, I knew I had something to rely on if my experience went sour. There were a number of things I had to plan for; my finances, my stay, a basic itinerary to keep myself occupied since sightseeing was not really an option because I had seen most of the conventional spots, etc. I deep dived into solo travel blogs, things to do alone, things not to do and I made a hefty booklet of notes of what I was meant to experience over the coming weeks.
What I learnt very quickly was that all these preconceived notions, may or may not work for some people and each person’s journey is completely different from someone else’s, thereby unleashing the beauty of this process. For example, a common myth is that one stretches out of their comfort zone, well I didn’t. Definitely my personal style evolved, my level of awareness of myself, my thoughts, my food habits, my strength stamina and many such elements came to life enabling me to understand myself better.
I would sit in a park or at a bench on a busy street and simply watch people go by, observe their conduct, their choices and just their basic reactions to their environment. A ton of self-reflection and numerous playlists later, I realised, it’s just about being. Being honest to yourself, to your moment, your feelings and your fears. Of course one tends to miss their loved ones when they’re away but I for one, was happy to draw out the noise and just curl up in the comfort of my warm aura, planning my next solo adventure.
Written By Taryn Rodrigues
Week 21, May ’19
