Walking in My Shoes

I love travelling solo.

I do this by choice. This is the time when I recharge, reflect, and grow stronger.

The worst part of travelling solo for me is that first question you hear once you start talking to someone you’ve never met before:

“Are you travelling on your own?”

Yes, I am.

The most common reactions vary—from people feeling sorry for me, not understanding it, worrying about my safety, or advising me to join shared tables or solo traveller groups. The best-case scenario? “You are so brave!” (Really? I’m not climbing Everest or swimming with sharks.)

No matter how much I try to say that I love it, it’s mostly impossible to explain. And to be honest, I can’t be bothered either.

Years ago, I tried joining solo traveller groups on holiday more than once. Every time, it ended the same way: me doing my own thing and the rest of the group being annoyed with me (honestly!).

Thinking about this, I came across some interesting statistics from CBI. In 2018, British Airways found that over 50% of women had travelled alone, and 75% were planning a solo trip in the next few years. I’m sure those numbers have only increased since then.

So with such high numbers, why do so many people still struggle to understand the joy of solo travelling?

Here are the top three reasons why people love travelling solo:

• I want to see the world, and I don’t want to wait for others.
• I want to do what I want when I want.
• I like the feeling of freedom and independence.

These are all the reasons why I love travelling solo—and why I’ll continue to do so.

I’d love to hear from other solo travellers about their experiences. Leave a comment or reach out to me directly!

With lots of love, as always,

Yana De Lilac