Don’t You Get Lonely?????
Oh how often I hear this question. Whether from close friends or strangers that I meet on my journey, one frequent question I get is, “Do you ever feel lonely?”
Of course I do. Humans are social creatures. Long ago we decided life was better around other humans and the rest led us to where we are today. So, even the most introverted among us (me included) still have some desire for human company! Well. Most of the time I prefer the company of Odie to the human kind. But alas there are days.
Avoiding Loneliness.
Despite being very introverted, I do get lonely and miss my family and base of support. Here are some of my tips for avoiding loneliness when solo traveling.
No. 1: Make a Plan to Stay in Touch.
So my first piece of advice is to make a plan to stay in touch with your base of support (i.e. your closest friends and family members). This can be difficult but manageable depending on the time difference and is especially important if you plan on traveling for a prolonged period.
I recommend considering downloading WhatsApp (the text messaging/communications app preferred by about 99% of the world outside the United States) and getting your friends and family to download it as well. It is free, encrypted, and uses very little data.
The best thing about WhatsApp is that you can send long voice texts. I’m a long winded person. One of my best friends is a long winded person. We exchange daily voice texts that may be as long as 30 minutes each text!!! Usually, I wake up to a voice text from her, and when I respond, she is asleep.
But there is something about the voice/video that has a human connection to it so much more than just texting. So. Make a plan to stay in touch with your base of support.
No. 2: Eat Out. At the Bar.
I don’t drink. But I eat a lot of meals sitting at the bar. People that go to the bar generally want to talk. They want to know about the person next to them. They want to have someone listen to their stories and ask questions. Those are the people that sit at the bar. Besides the people that just want quicker access to the alcohol.
Sometimes our need for interaction is easy to solve. We just need humans to validate us or hear about our day or week. Most bar folks fill this need. And while I won’t give away secrets, one of my most enchanting and enlightening conversations was a 3 hour convo with a celebrity (I didn’t recognize her at the time) at a hotel bar in Hong Kong. The advice she gave me had a profound effect and was something I needed to hear in that moment. So. Eat at the bar and enjoy who you might meet,.
No. 3: Schedule Online course/language lesson.
So. Spending a large amount of time in France I figured I might as well try to pick up some French. Sure I could just use apps. But twice a week for one hour I have an online meet with my French tutor. She is the happy, go lucky sort. And she’s becoming a friend.
So much so that I recently met up with her and her friends in Paris when our schedules overlapped. So, not only do I get an actual French tutor who can give me cultural advice and also tell me when the language learning apps start to lead me astray (speaking formal French instead of every day french “Parlez-vous anglais? vs Vous parlez anglais?” but also it gives me another human connection to engage with! Win. Win. Win.
No. 4: Class Pass/Gym.
So. All this French food is definitely weighing on me a bit. So I joined a gym when I got to Paris. And while I haven’t made any “friends” yet, I do try to go around the same times and same day. This has resulted in me saying “Hi” to a few people I see regularly and engaging with them on some level.
My research about fitness opportunities in Paris over Meetup and Google identified that Class pass is an option. I also found an American runners group who meets once a week for a run and then coffee/pastries. Again. Sometimes as humans are needs here are easily satisfied. Its just to feel apart of something!
No. 5: Meetup or Other Groups.
MeetUp is an awesome app. I’ve used it Stateside many times when I wanted to expand my horizons and explore something new. I’ve made some great friends over Meetup. Obviously, the bigger the city the more likelihood you will find some group that piques your interest. But I would encourage you to try new things
So…. Have I convinced you?
I hope you will consider taking a solo journey!!! In the coming weeks and months I’ll be publishing more blog posts and youtube videos on solo traveling and my adventures!!! Stay tuned to get more.
The Video.
Check out my youtube video on avoiding loneliness when traveling and how to deal with it if you do get lonely!