Navigating Socialising when Travelling Alone

Backpacking usually encompasses a lot of socialising. Socialising can be amazing, it mostly is, it allows you to feel that you aren’t alone and enables you to meet such a vast array of wonderful people. For the most part, the social aspect of travelling is what makes the experience. I realised along the way, fairly early on, that it’s usually the people you meet rather than where you are (although obviously that helps), that makes an  experience unforgettable.


With this, though, comes the inevitable goodbyes. I’m sure most would agree that this can be frankly, quite shit. You get to know each other so well, you’re spending a lot of time together - 24/7 sometimes in each other’s company and you’re experiencing the wonders of this beautiful planet, together.

Then, it’s goodbye.

It’s fleeting. We create these friendships and romances at home, but over extended periods of time. Like little snippets of some of the best connections you’ve made, here and then gone before you can blink. Obviously by ‘gone’, I don’t mean they disappear, the memories last, but the relationships cease to exist in that same way.

In a certain sense, there is beauty in this. With everyone in transit, everything has this feeling of immediacy, and spontaneity. Everything has an element of ‘now or never’ to it.

But I’ve come to realise that when I separate from people I really get along with, I find it difficult to immediately get into that same position again. I’ve found that it takes a lot of energy to invest myself fully into everyone all the time; I don’t do that at home, and I think the same applies when travelling.

More importantly though, I’m beginning to realise that this is acceptable, and that I don’t have to put pressure on myself every time I meet a new person.

This doesn’t mean I don’t speak to people, join in with social activities and spend time with them etc., but I guess it means that I don’t expend so much energy each time. Besides, I’ve learnt that in most cases, the best friendships come from the least effort.

When I started travelling, I think I sometimes found it hard to navigate what is expected of me when it comes to socialising. When you aren’t solo, that part isn’t so much of a problem.

But I decided to travel alone and so, I will embrace the solitary sometimes. I think it can be a good thing. Even if that means going out for dinner alone and being seated on a six-seat table, as I was recently (not ideal).