Tuesday, May 27 (Cinque Terre) – A lot of friends ask me what it is like to travel alone, if I get lonely or if I find myself missing out on experiences without having people to ‘go’ with. While I certainly have those moments or days when I feel lonely or maybe a little bored (or church-ed out), they are far and few between, especially now after traveling for a few weeks and getting used to it.
But I also make a conscious effort to talk to strangers, and to be nice to them – whether they ask for directions, I inquire about what to order or we simply ask each other where we are from. You never know if the couple sitting next to you at dinner will open their home in Zurich to you (true story) or if the cool girl on your walking tour is also going to Cordoba on Monday by herself (true story). At the same time, you never know if you can be that special reference or advice-giver for someone else, and I believe in paying it forward and offering / giving even more than taking.
But I also make a conscious effort to talk to strangers, and to be nice to them – whether they ask for directions, I inquire about what to order or we simply ask each other where we are from. You never know if the couple sitting next to you at dinner will open their home in Zurich to you (true story) or if the cool girl on your walking tour is also going to Cordoba on Monday by herself (true story). At the same time, you never know if you can be that special reference or advice-giver for someone else, and I believe in paying it forward and offering / giving even more than taking.
In Morocco, my tour group had a meeting on the first night so everyone could meet each other. As we went around the room to say our names and where we were from, I will admit it: I judged. Most of the people in the room were much older (I’ll put it this way: there seemed to be more grey and white hair in the room than blonde or brunette!) and I was wondering if they would hold the tour back or if I would have anything to talk about with them over the next 9 days. Long story short: I ended up getting close with just about everyone on the tour, especially a retired couple from England who made me laugh harder than I have since I started my travels! And I plan to visit them towards the end of my trip!
I’ve been pretty lucky in my travels in terms of the people I have come across. Whether on a tour, at a restaurant or through Airbnb, I have met people who I now consider friends, people I will be staying with later in my travels and people who gave me tips and advice that will stand out as highlights of my 100 days of travel.
I guess my belief and recommendation for future travelers is to go against what we were told growing up about not talking to strangers, and to be open as you truly never know from the outside what a person has to offer – or what you have to offer to them.
I guess my belief and recommendation for future travelers is to go against what we were told growing up about not talking to strangers, and to be open as you truly never know from the outside what a person has to offer – or what you have to offer to them.
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