Traveling solo

Last summer was the first time that I thought about traveling on my own. Naturally, I felt weird about it, had fears and hesitations. Being an introvert and an adventure soul at the same time, I was going back and forth. At times I was like,“I’m gonna do it, yeah, and meet people and have fun!”, and other times like “Hmm, maybe I should stay at home and save the trouble and costs…”. Finally, I was motivated by some female solo travelers I found on youtube and decided to go.

If you’ve never traveled solo or you’re in your twenties and thinking about it, do it!

My destination: a Greek island called Lefkada. It was a 4-hour road trip from Athens and my only companion, GoogleMaps. As it turned out, I had a blast on my own, singing out loud in the car without having to worry about anyone’s hearing, stopping wherever I wanted and laughing at myself. When I reached Lefkada, I had this great feeling of contentment and empowerment. That was just the beginning.

Although Lefkada is not a big island, it has mountains, which means edgy roads and dizziness. I absolutely hate driving in the mountains as it is dangerous, it gives me headaches and I feel unsafe. But in order to go to some renowned beaches, I had to drive. I vividly still remember thinking “Oh my God, I want to go home! Can’t I just teleport to the beach?!” However, at the sight of the beautiful beach, it was totally worth the fright. After driving to such places, I don’t feel scared anymore about driving alone. Actually, I feel self-sufficient and in control.

The next thing I had to get over and be brave about was eating alone at a restaurant. That dreadful question “Is it just you?” and the look of wonder on the waitress’s face still haunt me. Some things are associated with company like going to a restaurant, going to the movies or to the theater. However, you can change your perspective and look at it in a way you feel comfortable. You take yourself to eat out; you take your lovely self to the theater to enjoy a play. When you start feeling okay with yourself and loving yourself, you’d want to pamper you in all possible ways. And why shouldn’t you? You don’t always need someone to accompany you to have fun or go somewhere. I’ve heard about plenty of people who turned down opportunities due to the lack of company and that gives me a feeling of sorrow.

Nonetheless, there were moments when I didn’t know what to do with myself. Should I go to see the waterfalls, should I go to the beach, should I stay in and watch series….The call was totally on me and I was free to choose. I would be lying if I said; I didn’t waste hours trying to decide and changing my mind constantly. When you’re on your own, you realize how many decisions you had been relying on other people for help and didn’t have to think as much than when you are alone. Now I feel confident about decision-making and I try to not waste time on it.

On the third day, I decided to take the boat that goes to the nearby small islands. It was a whole day trip and the boat was packed with tourists. At that point, I felt really out of place as everyone had someone to share the experience of the excursion with. However, I met some other Greeks and we hung out for the most part of the trip. This goes to show that you may start your journey without any company but you’ll find it at your destination. Also, being an introvert, I had to really push myself out of my comfort zone and talk to people which enhanced my confidence.

Looking back I can only be happy that I overcame all my hesitations and fears and made the trip. It helped me in so many ways to grow, to become a better person and to take one more step away from my comfort zone. It’s an experience I suggest that everyone should have that leads to personal development.