Solo Travel Woes: Tackling Loneliness on the Road

Look, we've all been there. You know, that first time when you set off on a wanderlust adventure, heart full of naïve dreams inspired by glossy travel books and Hollywood films. I mean, come on! Didn’t we all imagine ourselves striking up instant friendships with locals over a pint? Or bumping into attractive waitstaff and ending up in smoky wine bars learning a new language? Back in '06, when I first packed my bags to see the world, such were my fantasies. Exploring history-laden streets at will, making my own schedule - it was exhilarating. At least for the first few days... until the reality of ‘aloneness’ crept into me. And mate, let me tell you something about ‘aloneness’. It’s cheeky that way; one minute you think you're having a ripper of a time alone and then wham! Before you know it, this harmless solitude morphs into gnawing loneliness. Where are those friendly locals who were supposed to welcome me? The fellow thrill-seeking backpackers to share stories with? When sightseeing gets old and silence becomes eerie rather than peaceful — yeah it got to me. Now here's where I could have blamed the city or jumped onto another train hoping for some magic elsewhere but deep down – nah scratch that – right there on bloody surface I knew that wasn't true. It wasn't where I was... it was how I was. Does life just happen? Nah mate! You gotta make it happen! And truth be told, yours truly wasn't doing a damn thing about it. So why did this happy-go-lucky traveller turn into an isolated wallflower? One word: fear. As someone who leans towards introversion (yes they exist among travellers too), approaching strangers never came easy to me — back in '06 or even now. But that fear was robbing me of experiences, of living out those dreams I had so vividly imagined. So how did I overcome this? How do you beat the odds when travelling alone and make friends? Is it as hard as we introverts imagine? Nah, it's not. And let’s be real, there are heaps of others just like us, wandering alone eager for some human connection... and guess what? You could be that connection. My saving grace was a group at a hostel in Prague who took the first step to chat with me. Thank God! They cracked the ice I was too afraid to even touch. Once that barrier breaks down, trust me mate, it's easier and less daunting than you’d think - those travellers...