Boarding flights, taking public transport, checking in at the hotels/hostels ALONE can be quiet intimidating to many people in general. What about the introverts who are naturally awkward in public spaces? I wish I can answer this question on behalf of all the introverted solo travellers in the world! But let me just tell the good, bad, funny, weird parts – you name it, about travelling solo as an introvert.

1. A choice of everything and anything

I had the complete freedom of choice in almost everything! And that’s the favourite part of all my solo trips. Introverts are uncertain about doing a lot of things when it comes to dealing with people. We always go by others’ choice in a public forum to avoid awkward moments (or even interaction lol). So we often nod in agreement and internally scream out for help. However, solo travelling helps us to NOT abide by someone’s decision. Picking a favourite place to stay, choosing a restaurant to eat meals, planning an itinerary, etc. would entirely be in our control and we love it! Life is easier and less-fussier that way.

2. An opportunity to overcome shyness

Reaching out to locals for help during solo travelling is the best way to overcome shyness. It is mentally challenging in the beginning but satisfying at the end of the trip. Introverts celebrate even for the smallest things. We pat on our back for being able to reach out without feeling uneasy about it. Trust me, it is indeed an empowering feeling. The alter ego works pretty good in solo trips. And the best part is nobody back home would have a clue about it. We totally dig that!

3. Embrace awkwardness like never before

It is a well-known fact that introverts are socially awkward. Honestly speaking, we don’t like to be labelled or judged for it. Hence, we do our best to avoid stepping out of our houses or even our rooms for that matter! Solo travelling helps us to break that barrier and embrace unaltered us like never before. We sport it like an accessory in the land that is foreign to us. The entire journey is very enlightening in so many levels!

The weird part is,

4. Popular perceptions of an introvert

Sometimes people convert appreciations into perceptions based on appearances, status and personality. Not all the introverts are appreciated or at least seen as normal humans for travelling solo. We often receive comments like,

• Don’t you feel weird about travelling alone?
• You must be really depressed with your life…
• What did you do all by yourself?!
• Why on earth would you travel alone?
• No wonder you got no friends…

and a lot of more…

Unsurprisingly, people look on introverts who are into solo travelling as weirdos. However, let us not forget the fact that the world is a better place now because of ‘weirdos’ like Marie Curie and Einstein.

Now coming to the ‘not-so-good’ part…

5. Lack of motivation in trying out new things

Most introverts are generally not great self-motivators. I usually need my close friends/confidante to cheer me up when I’m feeling low, moody or anxious. My first solo trip was not very great, especially during my nervous breakdowns. I wish I did better in my Bali trip till today. There were moments I called it a day, not utilising the day like I want to. I chose to stay back in the hotel room many a time due to self-doubts. If only I were good at giving a pep talk to myself, I wouldn’t have missed out on a lot of fun things! Yes, we may get carried away with our extraordinary overthinking skills lol.

So are introverts good at solo travelling?

I think we are great at solo travelling! We just need to focus on the good parts, and work on the ‘not-so-good’ part to have the wholesome experience. And it is better to not pay attention to things that try to bring us down. More power to us. Happy travelling! 🙂