Beat Solo (or not) Travel Loneliness

Any time I have to go down the road of explaining to someone what I do, I usually get a response with something along the lines of:

“That sounds fun, but don’t you get lonely?”

And well… yeah, I do, in a sense. But I feel like I beat travel loneliness by taking advantage of what I’ve got.

If you can’t tell, I like to travel.

But with all the travel has come loads of self-reflection.

When I started seasonal work (and extended travel) in 2015, it always seemed odd to say my farewells at the end of each job, season, or experience. But it was is just another part of it all. As strange as it may seem, you almost become used to goodbyes after so many. This drastically challenges your ability to deal with change.

Not saying they get easy. Goodbyes are never easy.

What I am saying though, is that I choose to deal with the frequent goodbyes in order to have the experiences I’ve had. Those experiences include many temporary friendships, all of which (somewhere down the road), include a goodbye. It is hard to create a relationship knowing that the end of the tunnel is within sight. Even if it is just a ’24-hour’ friendship.

Nomadic Matt said it best:

“One of the best things about traveling is all the people you meet. But one of the worst things about traveling is also all the people you meet”

It’s weird how much an experience can change based on who you spend that time with. Just like if you ever go back to relive the same experience, more times than not, it just isn’t the same. Things change. But these temporary friendships are what make the experiences come to life. It’s an opportunity to meet new people, explore new cultures, and live life in the now.

Plus, it’s the twenty first century, it is easier than ever to stay in contact with someone. Meaning that these relationships may be building blocks that lead to an opportunity to get out and do more. After years of travel and new experiences, I have met people from different cities, states, and even countries. And, because of the relationships made and maintained, I have had the opportunity to travel and link back up with these people, picking back up like no time had passed. Creating more forever memories.

“But Adam, you do tons of solo travel too”

Solo travel is a unique opportunity to direct your travel experience into the one you want. If you want to be an introvert, and just escape for a while without having to deal with anyone else… you can. If you want to be an extrovert, you can easily sprout your social butterfly wings and take advantage of the fact that likely every person you see is a new face, with new stories, and new opportunities to share those stories, and quite possibly the doorway to whole new experience.

By solo traveling, you no longer have to compensate for someone else’s interests. It becomes a one-person show and you are the director. Traveling with others can be beyond fantastic. But by traveling with others, there are going to be some things that interest one party member more than the other. When alone, you are given the opportunity to spend each hour of your travels doing what you want to do. 15 mile hike? 3 hour nap in a hammock? Spending daylight preparing the ultimate feast for dinner? Spend a week getting educated on bears?

Don’t mind if I do.

I bounce around all over with these two (introvert and extrovert), some may say ambivert. But to me it just makes sense, especially when solo traveling to some very remote places. For example, I absolutely love going out in the wilderness for days on end with no other humans for miles, and I can have a fantastic time doing so. It is a perfect opportunity to be myself. I personally believe that if you cannot be happy alone, you cannot be happy with others.

But on the other side of that scale, there are days (normally after an extended wilderness trip), where I need the human connection. Typically, I will find myself at a café talking with a stranger, or working on my computer without my headphones waiting for an opportunity to have conversation. But this is where my extroversion really shows. Whether at a bar, a café, restaurant, you name it, I am not afraid to sit alone and strike up a conversation with a stranger. Where on the other hand, many people I know are not comfortable enough to even step foot into the establishment if alone.

Don’t get me wrong, long-term travel (especially solo travel) is a rollercoaster of ups and downs. From what you guys can see and read on my page and with many other travelers across the map, it may seem like all sunshine and butterflies.

The truth is, it isn’t.

Long-term travel, specifically alone, takes a certain type of person. It will challenge your flexibility, your independence, but most of all, your happiness. The best piece of advice I can give to people who are considering long-term travel, or solo travel, is to travel slow. Slow travel relieves the tension, removes the pressure, and gives you the chance to enjoy the moment without the feeling of having to meet a deadline. That is truly the ultimate way to beat travel loneliness… slow it down.

Solo travel has its hills, and feelings of loneliness. But, it is really about perspective in these situations. Things are not going to be perfect. Your ups and downs are going to fluctuate on the road, just as they would if you were in one spot. I can tell you though, the ups are so far up there that when a down does find its way into the mix, a little self-reflection can help beat your solo travel loneliness. Take a look back at those highest of highs, realize that they too, are defining moments.

Want to know more? Contact Me with questions, or leave a comment below with your pointers to beat solo travel loneliness.

Happy Travels My Friends.

Cheers!

Shout-out to the family for accepting my phone calls when I need some human connection