Have you ever considered traveling on your own? I know to many it sounds like something they would never do. After all, who are you going to share the memories with?

I understand your fear, I too used to question why anyone would ever want to travel alone. Until I did it myself. After joining the Facebook group Girls Love Travel  and seeing so many amazing, fearless and empowering women travel all over the world on their own, I asked myself “Why not me?” . And so, in October 2016 I searched for flights to Athens, Greece. After talking to a couple of the girls in the group, one of them told me flights might be cheaper if I flew into another country in Europe and from there made the connection to Athens. And that is how I ended up visiting Ireland, Greece and Ukraine in the same trip in the summer of 2017. WOO HOO! Talk about being adventurous.

Its funny because it is only when I write or get asked questions about my travels that I realize I have done quite a good amount of it. Not to mention, all the trips I have now booked for myself because now it is the only way I can imagine living the rest of my life. But this post isn’t all about me, my goal is to get you out of your comfort zone and into your next adventure by providing some of my experiences as an example.

Step 1

Think about your budget, your available time, and destination. I personally do not have an specific destination on mind most of the time, so I will go on Google Flights and simply search for the cheapest flight available during the school break or weekend I have in mind. When and where are the two factors that basically determine how much your ticket will cost. Unless you happen to find an error fare, which is literally the best thing ever. I’ll explain that in another post though. So, decide when in the year you want to travel and for how long. A week? A weekend? Then get on Google Flights and see the price range. I love Google because they let you see prices for all days in all months, so if the time you wanted to go is out of your price range, you can see that maybe you can plan it for a later time.

Step 2

Book that flight! Just book it, don’t think about who you can go with, where will you stay, what will you do. Just book it. Trust me, we can both freak out later.

Step 3

Start planning your trip. Look up what to do and see, ask for restaurants and hostels recommendations. Yes, I said hostel. You’re traveling alone and THIS is the key to “how to travel solo without being solo” . Let me start with what a hostel is. If you have attended university and stayed in the dorms with a random girl you never met before school started, you are hostel ready! A hostel is a dormitory style accommodation. The bathroom situation is up to you most of the time, an ensuite includes the bathroom in the room, or a shared bathroom which means that the bathroom is outside the room and is often shared with the rooms in that floor. Don’t freak out yet. You also can choose how many people you share the room with, hostels usually have the option of 4, 6, 8,10 even up to 20 beds per room. Then you can choose between mixed or all female dorms.

For reference, I always choose no more than 8 beds per room in an all-female dorm whenever possible. Four beds would be nice and cozy but less chances of becoming friends with the girls in your room. Eight beds gives you more chances that hopefully at least one or two of the girls in the room are traveling solo as well and would like the company. When I went to Ireland I stayed in an 8 bed all-female dorm and ended up meeting two best friends traveling together who invited me out for drinks. Later, I found another pair of friends who also invited me out for a night in the city and then a mother and daughter traveling together which to be honest, was so awesome to hear. I actually still keep in touch with her still.

When staying in hostels, most people are backpackers traveling for extended periods of time or people like you, who chose to take the trip because no one else decided to come along. I personally enjoy traveling solo most of the time, gives me time to myself and I can make the choice to connect with new people and cultures whenever I want. That is the key to hostels, always be open to new adventures. You will meet people who will invite you out for dinner or out for a day trip to another city. The possibilities and connections are endless, it is up to you to be open and welcoming to them.

So that’s it. Book a flight, do not sit around and wait for your friends or family members to join you. You probably could have already been to Greece or Australia or China if you had just booked the flight and went for it. We have ONE life to live, go out there and explore the rest of the world !

If after reading this you still need more encouragement, feel free to message me I will always encourage everyone to travel alone at least once in their lifetime. It is life changing!

Laters,

Diana Janisbel