Would you ever travel alone?
Going on holiday, interrailing, broadening one's horizons and weekends in Skegness.
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Would you ever travel alone?I really want to do Trek America next year (Google it, it looks amazing) and lets say... I'm in a fortunate position in comparison with my friends. I have the money to be able to afford to do it and they don't so I'd have the go alone...but the thing is, would you ever travel alone? Would i look "sad" ?
I really want to go
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Re: Would you ever travel alone?Yes yes yes! Especially if you go with a student tours company or similar, meet other new travelling friends it'd be a great experience.
Just beware of some countries (parts of thailand etc) where you might be targeted for being alone.. just watch the film 'Taken' and bear that in mind! -
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Re: Would you ever travel alone?If you really want to go then do so.I dont see the point in waiting around for others when you are financially ready and everything.
I dont know for sure but there might be hostels in america, you're bound to meet other travellers there. -
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Re: Would you ever travel alone?It depends entirely on whether or not you feel comfortable with being on your own for periods of time and how quickly you can strike up a a rapport with new people.
Going travelling on your own can be lonely at times. You're in a strange, new place with nobody that you know to share the experience with and while you might be thinking "this is amazing!" you will also be thinking "Aw, [insert friends name here] would have loved to have seen this. I wish they were here." Similarly, you'll walk around looking at friends and couples exploring places together and you can't help but feel a little bit left out because there's only you. Finally, stopping for food is a massive hassle. It takes a lot of courage to man up and walk into a restaurant by yourself - and be prepared for the serving staff to give you some funny looks. Happened to me all the time, but that might be because I ordered a bottle of wine to myself... Hmm.
However, by going by yourself you're opening a world of opportunity. Because there's just you, you don't have to do anything that you don't want to. There's no compromise and you don't have to go to that boring museum because your friend wanted to. You get to plan your day and do whatever you want. It's awesome!!
When you're by yourself, you find that you have to go out of your way to meet new people. You strike up conversations with strangers just to pass the time and end up making loads of frineds that you wouldn't have without being there by yourself - you'd have just stuck to your established friendships and everything else would have passed you by. When I was in Rome by myself I met an art student studying the Sistine Chapel, an American doctor caring for patients with AIDS, two other Americans who were meeting with extended family and just taking in some culture and a whole host of other really cool people who I ended up having a great time with. It's daunting at first to walk up to a complete stranger and start a conversation, but it can make the entire experience so much more worthwhile.
If you're with the same group for the entirity of the tour, then its probably fair to say that you'd get to know them fairly well. As such, don't hesitate about going because you don't have anyone to go with - there's an entire tourbus to go with, you just need to use the confidence that you have in going by yourself to engage with them and make new friends. There will be plenty of opportunities for ice-breakers, so go for it!
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Re: Would you ever travel alone?This feeling that travelling alone may be 'sad' or whatever is a surprisingly popular one, given that backpackers' hostels are largely geared towards solo travellers. I was astonished when I mentioned to a group of friends last year that I'd be going from Valencia to Seville and Lisbon alone, and one of them laughed. You're going alone? Yes. To be honest, I'm unsympathetic to this type of insecurity.
You've phrased of the question 'would you ever travel alone?'; there's a bright orange sticky for solo travellers at the top of the forum that suggests your question's been answered already!
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Re: Would you ever travel alone?Dude f****g do it!! I personally wouldnt advise even going with a tour groupy thing based on my experience of going places solo without using such a thing (though I have never been to america). Just my opinion because you may meet less people. But I guess it will guarantee you company and maybe is more suited to what your looking for.
Regardless dont think about what others/friends think...not sad at all. 'Sad' are those that dont have the balls to do something they really want to because of what people think. Do it! -
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Re: Would you ever travel alone?some day i want to just get in a car with a bag of weed and drive from new york across to the west coast then all the way down to the southernmost tip of argentina. i think it'd be the coolest thing you could ever do
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Re: Would you ever travel alone?Personally I find travelling alone to be a little bit lonely because you see all these cool places and there's no one to share it with.
On the other hand, if you don't think that would bother you, just go for it. There will be opportunities to meet people. Is this a group tour? If there are going to be other people on it, I would have no reservations at all. -
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Re: Would you ever travel alone?Hi
I would say yes go for it as if you dont you may regret it
i was going to go by myself last year but i got a job opportunity so didnt go.
Travelling by yourself will become lonely (who doesn't get lonely ever now and again) but i am sure you will meet people and have a lovely time. Even though your have a route... if people you meet are travelling and are going somewhere off your route why not join them
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Re: Would you ever travel alone?I really want to do Trek America too! I think it would just be the most epic thing ever. I've never been to the US, but I love everything about the place and have a massive interest in American culture, history and politics. I'm going to try and convince on of my friends who is taking a gap year to go on it with me, but if I can't then I'll just go alone!(Original post by deathlyhallows)
I really want to do Trek America next year (Google it, it looks amazing) and lets say... I'm in a fortunate position in comparison with my friends. I have the money to be able to afford to do it and they don't so I'd have the go alone...but the thing is, would you ever travel alone? Would i look "sad" ? -
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Re: Would you ever travel alone?Driving across international borders with drugs? I see no way that could possibly end badly...(Original post by don_lad_)
some day i want to just get in a car with a bag of weed and drive from new york across to the west coast then all the way down to the southernmost tip of argentina. i think it'd be the coolest thing you could ever do -
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Re: Would you ever travel alone?I travel alone quite often, it's not as bad as people think. On the contrary, you're in the rare position where you get to do what you wanna do and looking after Number 1. Plus, it's quite easy to make friends with the people around you I'm sure.
Go for it I say =]
Been there, done that, had a great time 
