I went to Australia alone, I didn’t know a soul and the only thing I had was my backpack. Living on the other side of the globe, I was aware that the hard days are going to come and all the time I will be alone most of the time. Longing for family, moments shared with friends, favourite foods cooked by my granny or simply missing hearing polish language in the streets. I had all of these feelings being there, but it not necessarily because I chose to travel to Australia alone. Many people feel that lonely journeys involve plenty of gloomy and sad days and most things doesn’t make sense and it becomes boring. After arriving in Australia, I realized that I needed the ‘’loneliness’. Previously my life was a constant pursuit to prove myself that I can do everything. I needed to stop for a moment, clear my mind and think about what I really want.
Lonely traveling is not as bad as it seems and I would even say that it provides with more opportunities than traveling with a group of friends. Being alone in a new place means that sometimes we have to depend on strangers, to gain information or if help is needed. People are willing to help you, invite you for a dinner and even open their homes for you. Everyone is curious to know your story, the reason why you are traveling alone, where are you going next, what is your destination. I got lost many times, especially during my 2 months trip around Thailand, where my phone map often got crazy and tourist information offices do not even have a map. You have no choice, you have to rely on others and ask! Thus entering a greater interaction with the locals, you receive kindness and a good word that can give you plenty of positive energy. As a result, you learn more about the culture of the country. Nobody is better to tell you about the rituals and traditions than the native inhabitants. This way, you focus on what you really interested in and what you want to experience. You walk your own path, no matter how fast or slow. It’s yours.
Of course, everything can seems twice as hard and we feel a greater fear of taking the next step, because we don’t have anyone next to us that could support us. It doesn’t have to be sad to travel on your own, it can be a wonderful journey within your own imagination, you make peace with yourself, which helps you to know yourself better. Travelling on your own is a rare occasion to unravel yourself from expectations of your daily circumstances. We are excluded from all that and it can help you to discover a new side of yourself, when no one is watching. You discover part of your character that you were never aware of.
You have time to think, notice what went wrong so far and why you took those decisions. Being alone gives you a moment to reflect and analyse on what happened in your life and consequently the acceptance of your wrong decisions and failures. You realised that it is all up to you and your happiness depends only on you.
Lonely journey has taught me a lot! I changed the perspective of looking at the World and people. It may sound corny, but I know that nothing is impossible. I overcame my shyness and opened myself up for people. During my trip, I was on my own all the time and it taught me responsibility for myself and my own decisions. It is a good life lesson. I became stronger and braver and all my dreams seem to be realizable now. And every even small experience and lesson during your trip, lead to spiritual growth.
I learned that loneliness is just the state of our subconscious. You can have lots of friends around, partner who always support you, be in the spotlight, but still feel lonely and alienated. So, I would say that the feeling of loneliness, depends only on us and our approach to life. What’s important is how you feel with yourself.
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