What’s So Great About Solo Traveling, Anyway?
Italy. Pizza. Writing at my computer from a cramped bunk bed.
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Influencers want you to believe that solo traveling as a freelancer is key to happiness.
They post pictures of the sun, sea, and leaning towers in order to sell a lifestyle.
Or, to sell a course on how to make money just like them!
Personally, I’ve struggled with the idea of going out into the world by myself. But they tempt me. They got me tempted.
So I booked a flight to Pisa, Italy, and here I am.
Has solo traveling enriched my life? I have some thoughts.
The Big Italian Mess Around
I’m in Pisa because it was the cheapest flight, cheaper, in fact, than traveling to London by train. (Trains in the UK are CRAZY).
Italy is somewhere I’ve always wanted to go, although I’d pictured Rome or Venice as the first destination.
And that brings me to the first surprise — Pisa is great. It’s easy to get around, with plenty of bars and a strong traveler community.
The lesson here is to be open to new experiences — something I’ve always struggled with.
Before booking the flights, I was in the midst of a breakdown talking to a friend about whether I should.
It doesn’t feel like I should be the kind of person who can just swan off to another part of the world because I write online.
After all, my mother’s highest aspiration for me was to work minimum wage in a warehouse forever.
Self-doubt made it hard to even book the tickets, and right up until the night before, I talked about bailing.
But this doubt has followed me to Pisa. It doesn’t feel like I entirely belong at the hostel alongside other travelers.
I’m finding it hard to ingratiate myself with the other people in the hostel; talking about myself and what I do is impossible. (Maybe I’m just too darn humble).
I announced to my friends that I was coming to Italy for some big Italian mess around, but so far, my experience is similar to my day-to-day back home…
