When I began drafting this post, I was sitting on a super crowded bus, the traffic was atrocious, and it was so hot that I literally thought I was going to melt! But there is always a silver lining. Because the bus journey was the first time I really sat down to think about how my experience has been so far.

So what have I been up to?

It has actually only been two weeks since I got on that plane and headed to Croatia. Usually, I am the first to comment if an event seems like it was yesterday, or if it was ages ago. However, in this case, I have no idea how long it feels it has been. It may be because so much has changed within this short period, yet I haven’t established any kind of routine.

Only two days ago, I completed a group travel trip that I thoroughly enjoyed, and I plan to write more about it soon. Now, I am spending my time making the most of my current location, creating content, and trying to manage my exasperation over their public transportation situation. Okay, the public transport isn’t that bad- I am being dramatic.

Obviously, people had previously asked me how travelling has been so far. And I usually answer by stating that I am thoroughly enjoying it, then I’ll follow by providing a meagre description of some highlights. Nevertheless, travel comes with its share of ups and downs—and that is what I want to discuss today.

Highlights of Travel

Freedom

One of the highlights was the amount of freedom I felt. On just the third day, I was heading towards the city centre and was surrounded by the pearlescent ocean. The scene was complemented by the imposing architecture and jovial tourists. It made me think about how incredible it is to wake up, head out and be immersed by such beauty.

Another enchanting experience was going swimming in Montenegro, where I was immersed in a view of interlocking fjords, vast mountains, and crystalline seas. No words written by me could compete with illustrating how impressive it was. Nevertheless, I will never again argue that Bournemouth is the best place to go swimming! And it certainly made me appreciate the immeasurable beauty the planet has to offer, and it made me realise how fortunate I am to be experiencing it.

Meeting Locals, Travellers, and Tourists

I am not the most extroverted person, but I always enjoy listening to others’ stories and perspectives. And on the group trip, I had a few interesting interactions with the locals. The first local who shared his views was an Albanian bus driver. He claimed that Albania could not cater to the number of tourists. Meanwhile, he explained that he was very unhappy with their current political situation, stating that most politicians were ‘out for themselves’ rather than for the people. Having spent a little time reading up about their political situation, that made sense.

Another memorable interaction was with a local waiter — and no, it definitely wasn’t romantic! Much more eccentric than the bus driver, he shared similar views — while also giving me plenty of banter for being British.. He also said that he worked 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, yet he valued the importance of taking the time to slow down and be cheerful. I found that an interesting perspective, because this behaviour is often copied in one way or another between people across the globe. Outside of differences between countries (as this is not an area I am yet familiar with), it is relatively commonplace to joke about difficult situations. Meanwhile, whilst I know that many people are told to constantly ‘hustle’, I think there has been a recent shift in people attributing more value to the importance of slowing down.

I also really enjoyed talking to people on the group trip and interacting with others in ‘third spaces’. I’m alone for a bit now. I am still finding plenty of locals who are willing to stop and talk.

Downsides of travelling:

Trying not to be an awkward tourist! I don’t want to deter anyone from travelling, but travel isn’t just constant sun, sea, shopping, and cocktails. Although there is admittedly some of that. But, day to day, I am hardly living like an influencer! Apart from anything else, I am too awkward. I have managed to fall into someone on a bus, get brown gunk down my legs, and I have almost got into the wrong side of taxis on many occasions. But these are just small things.

Navigating new locations

The main thing I have found tricky is navigating a new, unfamiliar location. I was shocked to find out that it is nearly impossible to get an Uber or taxi where I’m staying. Moreover, I sometimes feel anxious when entering a shop, café, or restaurant. I think that anxiety was amplified when the waiter seemed to ironically ask me if I was doing work, then he asked me if I had finished my work. I do need to conduct more research on the etiquette of remote work (or faffing about writing blog posts that barely anyone will read) abroad. My guess would be that larger, quieter places may be okay with it. But I’m sure it gets easier to adapt to local customs the more you travel.

It is nice to admit that this has been the only downside of travelling. Still, there are a few things I’m figuring out.

Making friends

As an ‘ambivert’, I experience the best and the worst of both worlds. I love meeting new people, but equally, I enjoy my own company. My gut feeling is that solo travelling can be a scary gateway to too much socialising, or not enough. But it can also provide a path to the perfect middle ground. So far, I have taken a group trip and also explored places on my own. The experiences have been very different, although I ultimately want a good mix. Knowing how to make friends while travelling is one thing—actually doing it is another. Many connections I make in the future will be superficial, and they will not compare to the connections I have made at home. Although I know that it is commonplace to make lifelong friends whilst travelling. Therefore, I am playing it by ear, and I am telling myself that it is okay if the connections I make are surface-level; nonetheless, it would be excellent to meet people with whom I become close.

Balancing content creation

Another thing I’ve been figuring out is how to keep up with content while still living in the moment. I have found myself getting carried away with exploring. Only yesterday, I took a bus to the city to go swimming. Nevertheless, my swim lasted longer than anticipated. I then ended up spending a good couple of hours sauntering around the town, and popping into far too many souvenir shops. By the time I got back, it was after 3pm — and I’d meant to spend the day on content. But, creating means a lot to me, even if few people see my Instagram posts and read my blog.

This way, it is something that I want to keep up with whilst travelling. As a ‘wannabe’ creator, I know that you don’t become popular overnight by simply posting a selfie against a beach backdrop. Instead, there is a great deal involved, and much to learn. Therefore, it is something I need to focus on; really, it is about finding a good balance between exploration and creation.

As time goes on, I will become more accustomed to balancing creation, exploring, navigating bloody public transport, socialising, and volunteering come September. It is a lot. But at least it involves a lot of fun!

What I will do next

This is something I knew I would figure out over time. News break – I still haven’t figured it out yet! I have some options in mind, and I won’t go into them now, but I may discuss them further later on.

So, that is it for today! Thank you for taking the time to read this post. My plan is to post updates periodically. I remember when I had a blog before; my update posts did pretty well, and I am not entirely sure why, because I was literally spending most of my time cooped up in the house revising for my A levels. However, one way of looking at it is that now my life is 1,000 times more interesting than it was back then. What? I’m ‘manifesting’.

Anyway, if you have had thoughts of solo travel, or if you’re a seasoned solo traveller, I would like to hear your thoughts in the comments.

And if you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to my blog so you don’t miss any future updates. I don’t just talk about myself, by the way. I also create content centred around sustainable travel and the broader ethical/systemic issues surrounding travel.

Finally, if you are interested in both, or just enjoy living vicariously through someone who posts too many sunset photos, then please follow me on Instagram!