How To Deal With Loneliness Whilst Travelling Solo
Covid has scuppered many of our travel plans and some of us who have friends that live in different countries may not have seen them for almost two years. When we look back at these times we are going to see that covid has changed the world, for the worse.
My best friend is stuck in Hong Kong and they are only superficially serious about covid. No real vaccine drive or common sense. Just 21 days in a hotel if you live there and no entry if you don’t. Pathetic. It doesn’t look like this will change anytime soon either.
Long gone are the days when I could just hop on a plane to HK from London, spend a few nights there and catch the 0030 Monday red-eye to be at my desk by 9 am the same day.
Me and said best friend would usually end the year in Goa, on Ashvem beach, living in a beach shack with two 500cc Royal Enfields and as much hashish as we could fit in our pockets. Good times.
Fast forward two years and I am in Costa Rica, solo and sober with nearly a year of time between now and my last spliff.
Being solo here is odd, it’s a beautiful place, the beach is clean and the Pacific Ocean is warm but where there once was a friend to share the experience with, there is only you. You are invisible to everyone else who travels with their groups and partners.
The only way to deal with this is by coming out of your comfort zone and being active. Talking to everyone, inviting yourself into groups and pushing yourself to do more, say more and see more.
For me, this is the hardest thing on the planet to do. I am as insular as it gets. If you are the same then it is us that need to do this more than anyone else.
I will not let the next 15 days be a period of loneliness. It will be a period of growth and joy. I can decide either outcome, it is within my power and life is short.
Maybe going away solo is something every introvert needs to do.
