Traveling Alone

Context - I’m currently taking a solo vacation in London (currently at the end of day 2) and will be taking a day trip to Paris tomorrow.

The Why - There is truly no rhyme or reason behind why I chose to do this alone. I just wanted to do something a bit spontaneous to enjoy myself as I transition careers and to spark some adventure in my life. If anything, doing so alone mainly had to do with the timing (I booked this two weeks out and did so before asking anyone).

Thoughts To-Date - The short version of this is that I’m having the absolute best time. The longer version is a bit different.

Traveling alone is in fact very strange at first. You are completely alone. You can only procrastinate on your phone for so long trying to keep your attention away from the realization that you are in a different country, by yourself, alone in your own thoughts and experiences.

Before booking this trip, I didn’t think twice about traveling alone. I would prefer to have others experience this trip with me but given the spontaneity of the decision, I didn’t mind / think twice about doing this without others for a second.

I would consider myself an independent person. I live alone, enjoy doing things on my own time, and get energy from being alone (even though I couldn’t do any of those things without enjoying time spent with friends and family… I guess that makes me an introverted extrovert.). So shouldn’t I feel perfectly fine exploring on my own?

At first there was an overwhelming feeling of “now what” after checking into the hotel. I have a full itinerary of things planned out but I still had this knee-jerk reaction because I’m used to being with others (friends or family) sharing the same experiences together. It was very much a moment of sitting in that liminal space of discomfort and seeing what happens next.

And that’s exactly what I did. After sitting in that space, I was able to accept that feeling of discomfort to then begin enjoying the rest of my trip fully in the present. Once crossing that threshold and accepting discomfort, I continued an am continuously going beyond my comfort zone throughout my time here. Talking to strangers, trying new foods, and not overthinking what “I have to do.” Doing so has made my trip incredibly special and I can’t wait for what’s to come.

Here’s my shift in perspective - Traveling alone is easy —> Traveling alone can be a challenge and accepting the “why” behind what makes it a challenge can lead to more exciting and memorable experiences beyond our comfort zone.

“Travel far enough, you meet yourself.”

— David Mitchell

Matt