I remember my first truly solo trip vividly. Not because of where I went, but because of how I felt at every stage — the excitement, the terror, the unexpected moments of pure joy that no one had warned me about.
Before you leave
You'll question everything. Is this selfish? Is it safe? What will people think? These questions are normal. They're also not reasons to stay home. I spent years waiting for the "right" companion, the "right" time, the "right" destination. The right time is when you decide to go.
The airport moment
There's a specific loneliness that hits in departure lounges when you're truly alone — not travelling for work, not meeting someone, just you and a boarding pass. It passes. Usually by the time you've found your seat and ordered a glass of wine.
What surprised me most
- How many other solo travellers there are — once you start looking, you see them everywhere
- How much more present I was without someone to defer to
- How quickly "alone" stopped meaning "lonely"
- How proud I felt doing things I would have talked myself out of with a companion
Yolande's tip
Book something for your first evening — a walking tour, a cooking class, dinner at a recommended restaurant. It gives Day One a shape and stops you sitting in your room overthinking.
The hard parts (yes, there are some)
Some evenings you'll feel it — that ache of wanting to share a sunset with someone. You'll take a photo and have no one to send it to in the moment. That's real, and it's okay. It doesn't mean you shouldn't be there. It means you're human.
"Solo travel doesn't make you fearless. It makes you someone who goes anyway."
When you come home
You won't be the same person who left. You'll be quieter in some ways, louder in others. You'll have stories that start with "When I was in..." and you'll notice how many people respond with "I could never do that alone." You can. You did.
