The Ugly Side of Solo Travelling

What’s more empowering than being so independent that you don’t feel the need to be accompanied by anyone while exploring all these beautiful places? Yes, the joy of solo travelling is indeed an incomparable one. Your plans don’t depend on anyone else’s schedule. People envy you because you have so many amazing tales to share. You become an inspiration to a lot of people around. It’s paradise. You live the dream. But, then a realization, slowly crawls up your head. It’s good and all, but not exactly how I thought it to be after watching Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. To all the aspiring travellers, I have no intention of putting your morale down, but there are some things you should know beforehand. Here is the ugly side of solo travelling, that newbies must pay attention to, and the experts will find quite relatable:  

 

1. Loneliness is a bliss, until it’s not

The experience of travelling all by yourself is one of a kind, but not always you find people who you connect with. Sometimes there is nothing in common to talk about, and sometimes you just don’t understand the people. You can feel as if you are the only person left on earth. There are times when pangs of loneliness hit you really hard.

2. Yes, I’m an Introvert

If you’re an introvert, you are very well aware of how much efforts you have to put in socialising with people. And when you do give in that time to someone, you want it to be worth it. While travelling introverts do make friends, but these friendships don’t usually develop because we are always moving from one place to another. All this can be very consuming, especially when you’re an introvert.

 

3. I got mugged!

Everything is going great. Freedom has never felt better. The summer breeze rushing through my hair, the sweet perfume of nature. Hey, stop! **cries** My stuff is gone.

Getting robbed sucks. But it sucks more when you’re all alone and have no shoulder to cry on. The lost trust takes months to rebuild.

 

4. I’m Sorry, but I don’t understand Tamil

Language can be a major barrier- well, tell me about it. It is highly likely that you encounter people that interpret what you say as something you don’t mean. You may be dropped somewhere you didn’t want to go It can spoil anybody’s trip. But when you are alone and you face problems because of language, you miss your comforting friend more than anything.

 

5. I wish I was better at bargaining

I don’t know what’s with autovalas and shopkeepers, but they just happen to know if you’re a tourist or not. And when they sense the curious explorer, no power in the world can stop them from over charging. Though the actual price you will pay depends on your bargaining power, but if you’re bad at it, you will have to shed a lot of bucks. This is when you wish you were travelling with a group.

 

Also read: A Guide to Travelling Etiquettes & Public Utility Spaces

6. You got scammed, Sucker!

You will be lured into buying “pocket-friendly packages for travellers just like you”. Many times, they do take you to beautiful places at very economical rates, but there is also a possibility that you may get scammed. You may be asked to pay a considerable amount in advance and then told something like “Sorry due to some major issues we can’t take you there”, or no reason may be given at all and the muggers will be just gone. Just so you know, it happened to one of my friends.

7. Okay, this is getting kind of scary

The eager human. Travelling your way down to each and every lane you could possibly explore and following your instinct. No yammering from others. Suddenly, you realise that this lane is not quite particularly what you expected it to be. It’s so dark and shady. This scares the hell out of anyone, especially when you have no companion walking beside you.

 

There is good as well as ugly side of solo travelling. Despite some negative experiences, it is an enriching experience, that should be tried at least once in everyone’s lifetime. But it’s also important to realise that you may also face some pretty bad incidents. Don’t let the petty ones go up to your head. Preparedness and presence of mind goes in handy while you are embarking this journey on your own.