Traveling Alone

On the road, there is about a 50/50 split between people traveling alone and with others. I'm not sure which I prefer, both have their advantages.

I love that I have nobody else to worry about when making plans. No compromises at all. I really liked Nimbin, so I stayed an extra night. Byron Bay was great, so I added a few more days. I think I fancy a hike today, so all I have to do is take a bus to a nearby National Park and have my hike. It is just awesome to be able to do whatever I want.

Traveling alone really forces me to be more extroverted. Most readers of this blog know me pretty well, so they may find the idea of me be introverted a little surprising, cause I just talk people's ears off. If I don't know someone though, I get very shy. While traveling alone, I have two choices really, approach strangers and talk to them, or sit by myself. Let's just say that many will be shocked by how much I've changed in this department.

At the same time, traveling alone gets lonely after a while. You meet somebody one day, then one of you moves on. Now I've have some great two-day friendships, but it gets a little old having to meet somebody new everyday. This is so bad, many backpackers don't even exchange names until a good hour into a conversation. There is just no point. That nice brown-eyed girl from Germany is good enough for the type of relationships you form on the road. There is no greater feeling than bumping into somebody you've met already. Familiar faces are nice.

Food can be quite expensive when you are alone. You make a curry, but you can't eat it all. Yeah, you can save it as a leftover, but if you are leaving the next day, the curry will go off in transit. Milk? No point.

In a few weeks though, I will start traveling with the Dutch Duo, Eline and Mirte. That will be nice for a change. I'm glad I'll get to see both sides of the traveling coin.