Written by: Jane
Sun Jun 12 2022
It was on a Saturday afternoon and yes it was the weekend. I had nowhere to go laying in bed feeling bad about being by myself. Checking up on my phone for quite some time and there was no sign of my friends texting me or calling me out anywhere. Meanwhile, my flatmates were also not home and well generally, my place is already quiet so when they are not home it basically becomes empty. I was boring, stressed, and scared because who would spend the weekend at home? Afraid of how time quickly passes and how gradually I am getting older, I dedicate myself to using every moment wisely. There, when I googled "interesting to do in life". One of the things on the long list is "solo traveling". I was impulsive and without my realization, I already booked the flight and accommodation (Yes, without researching anything about the destination at all). Only after I started to do my research on the destination I was about to go to did I realize that it is not fairly safe for female solo travelers. I began to question whether I should cancel my plan. Not only about my worries but also about the health that tried to stop me. I was sick before the date (I suspected that I had a covid-19 positive). It is funny that whenever I get sick I become enlightened about what I really want. I was mumbling to myself that I had to rest, take medicine, and eat well so that I could continue my travel plan. I guess at that time I didn't care about the rumor (whether it is safe or not to travel there) I just wanted to go somewhere. That was not it. Frankly speaking, I was uncomfortable about that solo travel thingy as well since I didn't want to feel lonely during the fairly long trip. And of course who doesn't want great photos when traveling to your favorite destination. Another thing that I don't like in general is eating alone at a restaurant. That is the very opposite of going somewhere aiming to try local/recommended food. The day finally arrived, thank god/budda...everything went as planned. There were no missed buses, flights, or trains. Arriving at the first destination, I was like "well, okay not bad" but as a tourist, I really hate crowded (I meant tourist who hates tourists). Then I continued to the next city which I expected much about it. I arrived there in the very early morning and my day started with disappointment, a judgemental attitude toward the city, and anger. The reason is that to me the city is not well-organized, traffic, clean, and yes it is not a place where you can wander around freely without fear of unfortunate things that might happen to you. Although I come from a developing country where things like this should be normal to me but sorry ever since I moved to Europe I started to become high-maintenance. Okay but the good thing was that I met a couple from my home country. we became friends and decided to explore the city together (appreciate and complain about the city). I didn't feel lonely at all. The next day, I didn't travel with them because we parted ways but that didn't make me feel lonely as well because I was busy observing people around me and yesssss being cautious. I think what I learn from traveling alone is the freedom of trying things and what I like about traveling alone per se is the beauty of unexpected things. I got to do a lot of observation regarding local people, tourists, and local life outside of tourist attractions. Most importantly, I believe that there are more kind people than bad people existed. The question is do I want to solo travel again? Yes, I do ( I just planned another trip). I have to admit that with friends (the right ones), I had more fun. It is just two different feelings. The choice is between fun traveling and adventurous traveling. I love both of them.