{"id":235877,"date":"2021-07-19T09:20:16","date_gmt":"2021-07-19T09:20:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/planning-a-solo-trip-we-need-to-talk-about-loneliness\/"},"modified":"2021-07-19T09:20:16","modified_gmt":"2021-07-19T09:20:16","slug":"planning-a-solo-trip-we-need-to-talk-about-loneliness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/pl\/planning-a-solo-trip-we-need-to-talk-about-loneliness\/","title":{"rendered":"Planning A Solo Trip? We Need To Talk About Loneliness"},"content":{"rendered":"

You expected a lot from your first solo trip. \u00a0A suntan. Obviously. Getting to know the world a little better. Making new friends. An epic Instagram account. Even a few of those \u2018did I just bungee jump naked\u2019 moments that you\u2019ve pledged never to talk about. Ever.<\/p>\n

But loneliness? You probably never expected that.<\/p>\n

Yet, it\u2019s an experience many solo travellers have. It\u2019s also one we\u2019re least likely to talk about because, let\u2019s face it, what kind of an ungrateful loser would you be if you felt lonely when you\u2019re supposed to be having the time of your life? Or so your thinking goes…<\/p>\n

So, you bury the loneliness under a veneer of carefree happiness hoping it will disappear. And sometimes it does, which is great. Other times it starts to fester until you find yourself spending more and more time indoors. You wallow in self-loathing for failing so badly at travelling when everyone else around you seems to be smashing it. Before long, you find yourself on Google browsing the different options for going home. At any cost.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re experiencing a bout of loneliness on the road, shut down the flight search engine and read on. As well as being a perfectly natural emotion, loneliness is also more common than you think. And the best news is, there are plenty of things you can do to stop loneliness ruining your trip.\u00a0The truth is, you don’t need to be afraid to travel alone. You just need to know how to deal with loneliness when it hits.<\/p>\n

Here are 7 simple solutions you can work on right now.<\/p>\n

1. Rest, Refuel, Regroup<\/h2>\n

\"loneliness<\/p>\n

You should go and love yourself\u00a0?@mirkalaqj08<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Hunger, thirst and fatigue have a lot to answer for. Ever felt hangry? How much more chilled did you feel after you fed yourself? Sometimes we confuse our physical needs with our emotional ones. Eat, drink and sleep. Feel better? Great! Go out and enjoy the rest of your trip. But make a mental note for the future that feeling exhausted and lonely are not the same thing.<\/p>\n

2. Wallow Without The Guilt<\/h2>\n

\"loneliness<\/p>\n

Eat ALL the ice cream\u00a0?@teejayhughes<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Wait? What? Isn\u2019t wallowing in loneliness partly what got you here? Yep, it sure is, but this is a different kind of wallowing. This is dedicated guilt-free wallowing. And you\u2019re giving yourself a deadline.<\/p>\n

Sometimes you just need to take the pressure off. So what if you don\u2019t climb to the top of Table Mountain, or go swimming with whale sharks every day? Especially on a long trip, you\u2019re not supposed to tick off adventures at 1,000 new experiences an hour. Have a Netflix binge in your pyjamas, read a good book, eat as much ice cream as you can find. Do whatever you need to do to make yourself happy. It’s your trip, so do whatever you want. It may just cure you.<\/p>\n

3. Remember: You\u2019re Actually Freaking Awesome!<\/h2>\n

\"solo<\/p>\n

Note to self: YOU ARE AWESOME!\u00a0?@simplysteph_<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Sure, you\u2019ve just spent the past few hours\/days\/weeks telling yourself that you\u2019re a lonely loser, but take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Remember how many new people you\u2019ve already met on this trip. Remember all those times you were leading the charge. Usually to the nearest Happy Hour bar. You’re cooler than you feel right now.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve really lost all perspective, look over your photos. See all those cool things you\u2019ve already done and the people you were with? It\u2019s been a whirlwind, hasn\u2019t it? This bout of loneliness is just a dip in an otherwise remarkable journey.<\/p>\n

And even if none of the above is true \u2013 perhaps you\u2019re at the beginning of your trip or you\u2019ve felt lonely from the get-go \u2013 you\u2019re still amazing! Why? Because you\u2019ve taken yourself away from home, out of your comfort zone and you\u2019ve done this all on your own. There is no way on this earth that you\u2019re a loser. Do you have any idea how many people wouldn\u2019t even consider doing what you\u2019re doing, let alone have the guts to go through with it? The answer: many, many people. That alone makes you amazing and you shouldn\u2019t be afraid to tell yourself that. Sixty times per hour if necessary.<\/p>\n

4. Embrace The Alone Time. Especially If It Terrifies You<\/h2>\n

\"lonelinessBeing alone is not the same as being lonely\u00a0?@borderjunkie<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

How many times \u2013 \u00a0at college, at work, in your overcrowded house-share \u2013 have you longed for some alone time? Well, now you have it. Embrace it, even if it feels scary. When else will you have a chance to think about those bigger questions in life\u00a0\u2013 what do you really dream of? What kind of person do you hope to become? Do you think you\u2019ll end up with 2 or 12 puppies?<\/p>\n

Being alone with your own thoughts can be one of the most terrifying experiences you can have but, as one author once said, \u2018pray that your loneliness may spur you into finding something to live for, great enough to die for.\u2019 And if nothing that profound happens during your extended period of navel-gazing, you might at least get so sick of your own company that you\u2019ll try anything to make new friends, thus solving the loneliness problem by default.<\/p>\n

5. Stop Being So Damn Anti-Social<\/h2>\n

\"loneliness<\/p>\n

Put your phone away\u00a0?@nuriaoliva_<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Okay, that might not fit so neatly into the supportive category, but be honest, you could try a little harder, couldn\u2019t you? For a start, stop hiding in your room \/ on your bunk \/ behind your phone.<\/p>\n

Of course, it\u2019s not easy to put yourself out there when you\u2019re already feeling lonely, but it\u2019s one of those things that you\u2019re just going to have to do. You\u2019ll thank yourself for it later. If making the first move is still too daunting, as a first step you can try just making yourself more approachable to others: hang out in the hostel bar or common room, switch your phone for a book.<\/p>\n

6. Look At What\u2019s Already Worked And Do More Of That<\/h2>\n

\"loneliness<\/p>\n

Understand what works for YOU\u00a0?@alexjacksonvisuals<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Deep down, most of us know what helps us when we’re feeling down. Do you crave the energy of cities or the tranquillity of the beach? Is your happy place balanced on one foot in a yoga pose on the precipice of a cliff? All too often in travel, we set out with an idea of the kind of trip we think we\u2019re going to have (or should have). We plot a rough route and we try to stick to it. But if that plan is no longer working for you, it\u2019s time to rip it up and start again.<\/p>\n

Look at what has worked in the past \u2013 \u00a0on this trip or others \u2013 and do that. It may be as simple as moving to a different location or just moving to a different hostel within the same town. Or how about backtracking to meet up with that cool group you spent time with two countries ago?<\/p>\n

By placing yourself in your favourite environment, it\u2019s often easier to overcome problems. And once you\u2019re back on track and feeling like your old fantastic self, you can pick up your original plan if you still want to. That’s if you\u2019ve not already come up with something better thanks to your new travel friends.<\/p>\n

7. Don’t Leave Friendships To Chance<\/h2>\n

\"loneliness<\/p>\n

Travel friends are the best friends!\u00a0?@kendraauckland<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In an ideal world, solo travellers would bounce easily from one set of new friends to another without a single lonely day in between. And often it really is as effortless as that. But sometimes it’s not, and that’s when it’s important to have some back-up tactics for meeting new people in a strange city. Luckily there are loads of ways to meet people while travelling solo<\/a>, but these are my five favourites:<\/p>\n