By: Jules Bukovsky
What is the worst that could happen?
When I booked my first solo trip I was full of excitement at the endless possibilities. However, the closer it got, the more it dawned on me – I was going to Europe alone! What was I thinking?! On my way to the airport I was running through all the things that could possibly go wrong, from being mugged and losing everything, to missing my flight and being stranded for the rest of my life. To say I was thinking of worst case scenarios would be an understatement.
I started doubting my ability to even check in my baggage and find my plane, never mind navigate a country I had never been to on my own. I was too nervous to even be excited. There are horror stories in the news on a daily basis of the murdering of tourists and after getting to know that I was heading Eastern Europe my family members were worried for my safety, suggesting it was unsafe to travel as a female on my own
What it was actually like
Having successfully found my plane to Warsaw, my fears began to fade. I was in a foreign country on my own! I realized that even without speaking the language, with a combination of Google maps and common sense, navigating the subway was fairly similar in every country. Yes I was out of my comfort zone, but it felt amazing to feel alive and excited to be in an unknown, but lively city.
I could do my commute to work with my eyes shut. I pay no attention to anything or anyone around me. Here in Poland on my own, I was receptive to everything. Whilst nerve-wracking, there was something great about feeling completely aware and present in the moment.
People’s reaction to me
In my head, everyone would be looking at me thinking “look, she’s traveling on her own!” Realistically, no one paid me any attention whatsoever. No one knew I was a tourist or that I was there on my own. I didn’t stick out like a sore thumb as I expected to. I got chatting to a few people in my hostel and on a hiking tour in the Tatra mountains whilst staying in the Polish spa town Zakopane and whilst people were surprised to find out I was traveling alone, the reaction I got was all positive.
Many told me they admired me and that they wished they had the confidence to travel alone too. People welcomed me into their groups, invited me out and offered to take photos of me. It was actually a really heart-warming experience.
The hardest part of traveling alone
For me, the most difficult aspect of traveling alone was having to actually do things alone. At home I would never explore a castle or go for lunch without someone there with me. However, as soon as I realized that no one thought I was crazy, I embraced it. Sitting at the bar in Zizkov district in Prague alone meant that people came and chatted to me. If I had been there with friends, this would have been a lot less likely to happen. Some other time I got talking to a girl in a Romanian handicraft shop in Timisoara, who I’m still friends with to this day!
I was forced to ask strangers to take photos of me which was difficult but liberating. I was giving people who didn’t even speak my language my cell phone, hoping they wouldn’t run off with it. It was tricky at times and I felt embarrassed at being alone, but it built my trust in people because everyone’s reactions were always positive.
You learn as you go along
I was once in Vienna and ended up walking through a park on my way to the train station when it was dark. I quickly realized it wasn’t the nicest of parks. There was no one waiting for me at the station, no one to notice if something happened. I had to handle it alone. I walked through, my head held high and learnt never to walk through a park in the dark again, even if it means taking the long way! You live and you learn.
Looking back
Looking back over my solo traveling experiences, they were some of the best of my life. I strongly believe one of the main benefits of traveling is meeting people who live completely different lives to you.
When you are on your own you are so much more approachable. I went for example on an incredible student bar crawl in Budapest with a bunch of strangers. Laughter is a worldwide language though after all. Of course there is a fine line and you have to have your wits about you and be careful but equally, you have to trust people and when you end up having an incredible night with new friends, it definitely restores your faith in humanity. When I later traveled to Krakow I ended up meeting a local student in a coffee shop who took me on a tour of the wild student places out in Szewska high street!
Another advantage of traveling alone is that you can do whatever you want whenever you want. Museums aren’t your thing? Don’t go! You get to do everything on your terms and make the most of your time abroad.
Learning to understand the locals
One of my favorite experiences was my time in Poland. I stayed in Warsaw and one of the first things I did on my arrival was go on a free walking tour of the area. I think it’s really important to learn a bit of history whilst you’re traveling.
It is much more interesting being talked through the history of a place as you walk around it and can see it with your own eyes. I learnt about the post communist mentality in Poland. There is something great about coming home having learnt something.
The priceless payoff
In conclusion, if you are debating exploring the world on your own, just do it! Do your research before you go and find a hostel with good reviews (especially when it comes to the location rating so you know it’s safe). Don’t forget to be open minded. Trust people. Talk to everyone. Try new things. Just let your inhibitions go and go for it – I promise you won’t regret it! Just make sure to stay safe too.
