I’ve always been someone who wouldn’t think twice about doing something on their own. I once watched Rocky Horror Picture Show on my own, and even got up and danced during Time Warp. After uni I booked a month volunteering trip to Ghana without knowing anyone in the group. A few years back I went to Australia with my Dad and Sister and they didn’t want to go water water river rafting so I went alone. Oh and I moved to London by myself!
But travelling brought a whole new dimension to doing things alone. Most of the time Adam and I don’t know people in places we go, so if I want to do something I have 2 options; 1) if it’s something Adam wants to do too we do it together 2) I do it alone.
Even though I’d always been someone who would do something alone, I found this aspect of travelling really difficult at first as it was more time with just me than I’d ever spent before. When you’re always surrounded by people time alone after is great, well that’s how I feel anyway. But after doing things by myself so often I missed sharing the excitement with someone. There was no-one to laugh with. And no-one to take a picture of me. There were a few occasions early on in our travels where I really wouldn’t want to do something alone, so I wouldn’t do it. Plus, there are also a few things you just cannot do alone, RuPaul’s NYC drag con for example!
But after 2 years of travelling just us 2 I now think fuck it. If there is something I want to do and Adam doesn’t I’ll say bye and go do it. Why should I not get the full travel experience because someone else has different interests than me. Why should I not see the things I want to see because someone else doesn’t want to. We have different interests, and that’s good because that’s what makes us interesting people. And likewise for Adam, I’m never going to go scuba diving with him and he knows that so he’ll find other people to go with.
Travelling is hard, and you’ll do soooo many things on your own. And yes initially it’s hard, but don’t ever not do something because you’re afraid of being alone.
KC x
P.S If you found this interesting, take a read of my post where I discuss the aspects of travelling that no-one ever talks about.