The TRUTH About Solo Travel

Do I love to travel?

Yes!

Do I love meeting new people?

Yes!

Do I love exploring alone?

Yes!

Of course I love all of these things or else I would have stopped backpacking a long time ago. But recently, I have run into a little rut as a solo traveller backpacking through Southeast Asia.

The truth is, is that this type of travel (backpacking for an extended period of time) alone is fucking exhausting. Sharing dorm rooms with people who snore, or listen to their phone without headphones. More mentally, than physically. This type of travel is no VACATION. Not to say that it isn't amazing, it is just draining sometimes.

I have been travelling for just around 3 months, backpacking through Southeast Asia. Fortunatley, I did have a travelling friend, Justin for the first month and a bit and then another friend Ian who I met along the way as well as met up with some cool people along the way. But recently, for the past 3 weeks or so, I have been doing a lot alone, and I can say that, it is lonely. Lonely for a few reasons.

1) It gets exhausting having to have the same conversation with backpackers about where they have been, where they will go and how drunk or high they were in whatever city (usually coming from younger backpackers). I get it. It's fucking fun to do all that shit, but maybe as I mature or get older I am striving to meet and chat with people about more important stuff in this world rather then drugs and alcohol. It is fun to share experiences about where we travelled to and chat about the amazing places this continent has to offer, but when the conversation starts to shift towards "where the best party hostel is" I find myself feeling lonely.

2) I find myself discouraged to meet new people while travelling as I am hesitant to chat because I feel I already know where the conversation will go. Then I just find myself laying in my bed or wandering the street alone in my thoughts about this exact issue.

3) I may have been spoiled the first month and half having such amazing people near me most of the time and now I looking to match that energy with new people and it is hard to do. So again, I find myself lonely. I find myself calling my friends and family from Korea or Canada to have meaningful chats about everything. I find so much more comfort in those deeper conversations or even just shooting the shit about how the day went.

I think it is important for any person who is deciding to solo travel, or is solo travelling to know that if you experience moments of loneliness or striving for more, that is is NORMAL. Sure enough, this is happening around the 3 month mark for me... back to that 3 month rule.

As backpacking and nomadic life becomes more routine in my everyday, I have done an analysis of my thoughts before travel and where I am now.

The truth is, my feelings and thoughts have changed, and I am okay with that. I have realized that this style of travel... overnight bus rides with monks, chatting about drugs and alcohol, eating rice and noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it is not exactly what I thought it would be. And to do it for another 3-4 months would not be okay.

This type of travel also takes a toll of your body. I have seen I have lost significant muscle mass and loss of energy for many reasons. I know the obvious answer is, "exercise and eat healthy" but that is not always so easy when you have to take 12-14 hour bus rides or have to wait at the airport for hours because your flight is delayed.

Although this may seem like I am complaining, I am not, I am rather writing a diary of how I feel in the exact moment in time to let you and other backpackers, travellers know that if you feel this way... it's okay. Recognize it is time for change and make the appropriate decision moving forward. Don't let everyone's #INSTAGRAM give you #fomo. You are only human and these are human feelings.

If you are a solo traveller and want to chat about your feelings while travelling, please feel free to DM me or reach out to the travel community.

Much love- Anthony