Sometimes I wonder where my courage stems from before planning a solo trip. Growing up I was shy, introverted, and tended to be a homebody. I found extreme comfort in surrounding myself with people I knew and found entering unfamiliar situations frightening. Jump forward a few years, and now I crave more than anything to travel alone. I love the butterfly feeling in my stomach while packing for a big trip, wondering if this trip will be as good as the last, if I’ll be able to meet as interesting of people, and if in general I will enjoy myself. As I’ve conquered various countries alone, climbed high altitude mountains, and entered cities without knowing a soul, I’ve realized the beauty in connecting with people and realized the importance in being open to manifest incredible relationships with people you least expected. In a lot of ways my approach to solo traveling is a bit like my approach to online dating. Go in with an open mind, try not to judge, and just enjoy the circumstance of meeting someone new.
I’m not sure which came first my comfort with solo traveling or online dating, both add a little extra spice into my life and allow for me to meet interesting people. While online dating gets a unique reputation, I’ve really enjoyed the people I’ve connected with on it and while I’ve never found a serious relationship from them, I love planning a fun activity with someone new. The similar nerves I might experience before planning a long solo travel, I experience before a date with someone new. Dating can be so nerve wracking and the expectations that come with it can be interesting to navigate. Similarly to traveling, I have learned how to get over my shyness quickly, be an open book with new people, and embrace the interaction that meeting a person for the first time might involve.
Online dating is one example of a parallel to solo traveling, but truthfully any activity where you are leaving your comfort zone embodies a similar environment to being in a new country alone. Whether you attend a workout class alone for the first time, or join some sort of club both require meeting new people being in a new setting can be challenging. Maybe these activities are on a smaller scale compared to going to a new continent with no connections, but putting yourself in situations where you have to leave your comfort zone is a great habit to get into.
I find the post travel blues very difficult to overcome and sometimes the only way to climb out of that depression is becoming a yes man in my own city. I crave challenge and change and ultimately find life very unfulfilling if the routine becomes too ingrained. Because I love meeting people, online dating has been a fun option to keep life interesting. Meeting someone new without any context is exciting and nerve wracking, just like showing up to a hostel without having any friends. While online dating might not be the move for everyone, I think putting yourself in challenging situations frequently is good for growth, learning about yourself, and others. Whether you want to go up and talk to a stranger or try an exciting new hobby, putting yourself out there is what makes life interesting.
Traveling itself is inherently exciting because it usually means exploring a new place, but just because you are living at home right now doesn’t mean you can’t add some of that same exhilaration into your daily life. Find opportunities to meet new people, connect with people of different cultures, try new foods, explore your own city, and don’t life get so routine. Having the ability to feel confident enough in yourself to meet new people, to try something new, or go explore an unknown region is badass, and its the confidence that we need to bring into our daily life. Sometimes I feel like my traveling self is so much more free spirited, and of course that’s true because my only worries are finding the cheapest hostel, but sprinkling some of my enthusiasm for life back at home is completely necessary to make life just as interesting on the road as at home.
Hailee Boyle Social Media Management 