independent, intentional travel
Hi, it’s me, your travel blogger friend who left her glamorous, frivolous life in Spain to settle back into the typical patterns of everyday American society for the past 10 months. (Thanks, COVID.) While our next adventures seem to be creeping closer, little by little, I’ve had some time to work on other projects that I’ve enjoyed. And one of them was decorating my very own office! [Read more…]
Last night, my family and I finally had our Christmas. Yes, on January 9. Most of my family, except for me & Matt, and my sister Carrie, came down with COVID, so we had to postpone our celebration until everyone was healthy again. Luckily everyone is doing well! And while we were all together, we also did one of our New Years traditions — we each write down as many predictions as we can for the new year. Then, we take turns reading the last year’s predictions to see how many we got right.
I was first up. As I scanned through my typed list, which I’d emailed to my dad since I was in Europe last year, all I could say was… “Wow. This is sad.” Because of course, at that point I had no idea we were two months away from getting hit with the pandemic that would be life-changing for the next year, if not longer. [Read more…]
View in Wrocław at Market Square
I had an ulterior motive when it came to visiting Poland for the first time. Way back in 2012, after spending a Christmas in the far northeast of Germany with my boyfriend’s family, we’d driven across the border to Szczecin just to say we’d stepped foot there. (And I think we ate pizza.) But since I didn’t spend much time there, I never really felt that I could say I’d *been* to Poland.
In order to alleviate this traveler’s cognitive dissonance, I kept an eye on flights to Poland in 2019, during my first year living in Spain. And finally, a cheap flight to a city called Wrocław aligned with a puente (long weekend) from school. [Read more…]
Granada, Spain, was a city that I’d always heard about while living in Madrid, but never gotten around to visiting. Its location — isolated in Spain’s deep south — requires visitors to have sufficient time to not only enjoy the city but travel there as well. Situated in a mountainous region of Andalusia, Granada didn’t even have a high-speed railway station until mid-2019! Which meant that my transportation options were limited to flights, cars, or buses.
One of my friends in Madrid, Ellie, had studied abroad in Granada during college. Along with our friend Sarah, we planned a weekend trip, traveling via bus. It was 5 hours each way, which was a lot, but it wasn’t horrible. From the time I set foot in Granada, I fell in love, and I think it’s my new favorite city in Spain. Here are 7 reasons everyone should visit Granada! [Read more…]
When I booked my first-ever trip to Mexico City in April 2018, it was a last-minute, not-very-well-planned, thing. I didn’t know much about it or what was there, but I assumed I’d at least get some good food and the opportunity to practice my Spanish a bit. And at the time, Southwest Airlines flew there as one of their few international destinations. It cost me 15,000 points + $100 round-trip, so I really couldn’t complain!
Though less than a year later, in March 2019, Southwest ceased its service to Ciudad de Mexico (CDMX) meaning if you want to plan your own trip to the Mexican capital, you’ll have to look at another airline. [Read more…]
Is Mexico safe? Most of us know that Mexico gets a bad reputation. For many, the mention of Mexico invokes ideas of crime, violence, and earthquakes. Even the State Department has issued warnings urging U.S. travelers not to visit certain parts of the country. There were reports of tourists being served tainted alcohol; an Iowa family of four tragically found dead in their rented condo.
So, here we have Mexico sounding pretty dangerous for anyone to visit. [Read more…]
A night out after making friends while traveling solo
In October 2016, I finally set off on my first solo trip — to Spain, where I would eventually move two years later. While I was excited about my big adventure, traveling alone for the first time, I had some concerns too. Would I have fun? Would I have to spend all of my time alone? Sure, I enjoy my own company — but there’s something so special about making memories and sharing experiences with friends in foreign lands. I was hoping I wouldn’t miss out on that, despite embarking on the trip by myself. I had no idea what to expect.
Six hours after arriving at the airport in Madrid, I was eating paella for lunch with Daniela from Chile. That night, we went on a tapas tour with a group from our hostel; the next morning, I spent hours talking to Carlos from Toronto in the hostel lobby over breakfast. By the end of the trip, I’d made so many more friends, and this trend has continued on every solo trip I’ve taken since.
Here’s my best advice on how to make friends while traveling solo.
I first started staying at hostels purely out of necessity. (Studying abroad in London on a college budget ain’t cheap.) But when I took my solo trips to Spain and Southeast Asia, I was working a corporate job — meaning I had more disposable income and even hotel points to spend on my travels. But if you want to make friends while traveling solo, you can’t beat hostels. So that’s where I stayed.
A huge portion of the people you’ll meet in hostels are solo travelers, too. A lot are backpacking for a certain amount of time, but others are also on short vacations. If they’ve chosen to stay in that 6- or 8- or even 14-person dorm room, odds are that they’re open to meeting new people.
Some hostels have the reputation of being “party” hostels. Depending on your age and what you want out of your travel experience, this may or may not be a good choice for you. Even if you don’t stay at a party hostel, you’ll still be able to meet people, and you’ll probably get a little more sleep, too. Just read reviews online and try to find hostels that have a friendly atmosphere.
But hostels aren’t the only way to make friends. Try to be conscious of the travel decisions you’re making and whether they lend themselves well to meeting new people. Another example: in Thailand, I could have easily afforded a private “room” for my overnight train to Chiang Mai — but I decided on second-class seats so I wouldn’t be so isolated. I ended up becoming friends with my seat mate, and we spent all night talking and even hung out for the next three days in Chiang Mai.
I’m not the most naturally outgoing person in the world, especially when it comes to people I don’t know. But traveling alone is very freeing, and sometimes it can give you the confidence to act in ways you probably wouldn’t in your normal life.
One afternoon in Siem Reap, Cambodia, I met a Welsh guy named Will who had been napping in the bunk below mine. We talked for a few minutes and I left to go out into the city. Later that night when I returned back to the hostel, I saw Will sitting with a few guys at the hostel bar. I didn’t have any plans for the evening, so I just went and sat down at their table and introduced myself to the group. They invited me out with them and we spent a fun night with $3 cocktails on Pub Street. (Pictured above.)
Inserting yourself into a group conversation is terrifying. But a lot of times it’s not that hard. All you have to do is strike up a conversation with the people around you. Most travelers are really friendly! If you want friends, you have to be brave enough to take the first step.
There will be times when you’re presented with an opportunity, and part of you (or most of you) really wants to say no. Maybe… your Airbnb hosts ask if you want to go on a Segway tour with them, but it’s kind of expensive. Or your hostel roommate asks if you want to go get a drink somewhere, but you’re tired and already in your pajamas. Or the guy you met on the overnight train asks if you want to go explore some temples with him, but the shower at the hostel was broken and you’re really self-conscious about how you look (and smell). Or two girls you just met invite you to join their Angkor Wat tour, but you know they’re best friends and you wonder if you’ll feel too much like the third wheel.
Do these situations all seem oddly specific? In case you couldn’t guess, these are all real-life things that happened to me, and I was thiiiiiis close to saying no. “No,” would have been comfortable. “No,” would have been easy. But going against every instinct I had, I decided to say yes. And these moments turned into some of the best memories and best friends I’ve made on my trips.
What other questions or advice do you have to make friends while traveling solo? Leave me a comment!
-Cathy
P.S. Special shout out to Daniela, Will, Yasmin, Camilo, Zairah, Martin, Chris, Will, Lily, and Johanna, if you’re reading this 🙂
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I highly recommend T-Mobile for solo travel.
I was 20 years old before I got my first smartphone. I was a sophomore in college. Now, if you’re older than me, you may be saying, “Big deal! I didn’t get one until I was x years old.” However, by Millennial standards, I was absolutely ancient. [Read more…]
Wondering how to not look like a tourist in Europe? It starts with your clothing.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with looking and acting like a tourist. You are a tourist. But in some situations, looking like a tourist can make you a target for pickpockets, scammers, and other crime — a chance that only increases if you’re traveling alone.
Luckily, if you’re traveling alone, you also have a unique advantage — one that I think is lots of fun. When you’re alone, you can pretend you’re a local, just doing local things. I know I’m succeeding at this when someone comes up to me and asks for directions in the country’s native language 🙂
Here are a few of my best tips on how to not look like a tourist in Europe.
Safety tips for solo travelers are essential
Hello everyone! Let’s talk a little bit about safety. Now, as you may remember, my parents weren’t super thrilled with the idea of me going to another country alone (especially since they haven’t traveled abroad themselves). I wanted to share a few safety tips for solo travelers that I take before I even leave home — which helps give them peace of mind.
Keep reading to find out my top 5 safety tips for solo travelers.