WILD & FREE: A SOLO TRAVEL STORY
Image by Nicole Geri
LESSONS LEARNED FROM TRAVELING SOLO
Words | Delila Bevan Zavadsky
Delila Bevan Zavadsky is an Australian freelance writer with a Bachelor in Creative and Professional Writing. In 2019, Delila was long-listed for the ‘Australian Richell Prize for Emerging Writers’, which was awarded based on the beginning chapters of her working novel. Delila has a passion for health, travel, and discovering the beauty that the world has to offer.
The idea of solo travel has always filled me with equal parts excitement and trepidation. As I neared the end of my creative writing degree, I began pining for a sense of freedom which I felt could only be truly instigated by adventuring alone. In my final year of study, I started planning my first solo travel for the following year: backpacking around Europe. I envisaged myself sprawled on the glittering sands of Grecian beaches, hiking into the hills of the Scottish Highlands, and driving past the picturesque vistas unique to Tuscany. As the date of my departure drew closer, butterflies swarmed in my stomach. This was it. I would be off and away in a matter of weeks with only my backpack as company; sure, I was going to meet fellow travellers along the way but, for the most part, I was going to be entirely independent. However, as the world plummeted into chaos, and international travel became a mere mirage on distant horizons, the butterflies were stopped mid-flight, their wings slowly disintegrating into the dust of a once realised dream. After wallowing in self-pity, I was forced back to the drawing board. The more I consulted the guidebooks, the more I realised there was so much that I hadn’t yet seen in Australia. Slowly, my European travel plans were cast aside in favour of a trip in my very own backyard. Looking back on a recent solo-stint along the East-Coast, I can happily say that I discovered freedom in a time of restriction. From swimming metres away from a dolphin, to careening through sand dunes on a quad, this trip has further fuelled my fever for adventure. But not only that. In a matter of weeks, I have also grown closer to myself in more ways than I could have imagined. If you’ve ever considered traversing the globe solo, then I hope that in sharing the many benefits I discovered from my adventures, you will be encouraged to set off on your very own solitary expedition.
You gain a whole lot of confidence
“Traveling alone teaches us to trust in our own decisions and instigates a strong confidence within.”
There is something especially daunting about setting off on an adventure without a familiar face by your side. When you travel alone you surrender to complete self-reliance. For many of us who are used to consulting others for immediate advice, the idea of not having someone to turn to is plain anxiety inducing. Travelling alone teaches us to trust in our own decisions and instigates a strong confidence within. I would be lying if I said there weren’t moments of discomfort. Like anyone that you spend too much time with, it can be hard spending copious amounts of time in your own head. But when the discomfort does set in, it is important to regard it as a powerful tool to work through things and get to know yourself better. If you aren’t venturing too far off the beaten track, then there are always other travellers to connect with. The beauty of travelling alone is that you can immerse yourself in a strong social scene, or you can retreat into your own solitary cocoon. Hostels are a hub for people with a common goal: to see the world and meet other like-minded souls. In general, I found that people were therefore open to connecting. Striking up conversation with a complete stranger can be nerve-wracking, but as time went on I gained much more confidence in my ability to connect with people from all walks of life.
Image by Caleb Russell
You get to call the shots
When you travel by yourself the only person you need to take into consideration is you. Sure, you probably wouldn’t want to live your life entire like this, but for periods of time this can be utterly liberating. You don’t need to confer with friends over breakfast, or how the day should take shape, and you don’t need to compromise eating Mexican when everyone else feels like Italian. Travelling solo allows you to be in charge of your every move and to say ‘yes’ to any opportunity sent your way. There were times during my travel where I would check into a hostel for the night with no idea how my next few days would take shape. Suddenly, I’d find myself invited to join in on other people’s expeditions and it took me to places that I would have struggled to conjure up in my wildest dreams. A weekend in Noosa ended up with me tagging along to Fraser Island with a group of other travellers, where I found myself in a seaplane soaring over topaz seas. While another spontaneous trip found me in Moreton Island, where I got to witness wild dolphins swimming each night to the jetty for food. Watching the calves chasing each other under translucent water was an experience I am not soon to forget.
At times constantly calling the shots can be tiring if you have a naturally indecisive nature like me. I found myself occasionally wishing that someone else could step in and relieve me of my decision-making duties for just one day. In these times, I was forced to stand back and truly listen in on myself and what felt right in that moment. Fear not though, if you really are having a bout of decision fatigue there’s always someone to lend a helping hand, whether that’s a tour company who can point you in the right direction, or the waitress at a café who helps you choose between menu items.
Image by Tim Bennett
You meet friends from all over the globe
When you travel solo you open yourself up to connecting with other travellers. Often fellow solo-adventurers will be drawn to one another like magnets. In only a matter of weeks, I have met a plethora of people from all over the world, many of whom I will stay in contact with. Adventuring proves to be a domino effect, from one undertaking sparks another. With the connections I have made there is a now a whole new box of adventures waiting to happen in far-off places. It is incredible the closeness you can feel to people on the road in such a short time. These people, although you know little about them, become a family to you and provide a sense of home away from home.
Image by Delila Bevan Zavadsky
You gain trust that the world is inherently good
There was a night I went to a full-moon bonfire party and, after dancing the night away, realised I’d misplaced my wallet and phone. I was distraught and frustrated that in a moment of carelessness I’d lost my possessions. After frantically searching the beaches until the wee hours of the morning, I exhaled in relief; someone had found my things and posted on a group Facebook page. They even drove to the hostel the next day and returned them to me. Admittedly, when I first discovered that I’d lost my belongings I was convinced that I’d never see them again. I believed that someone would have undoubtedly found my things, pocketed the cash, and stolen the phone. From a very young age, we are taught to distrust the world we live in, and yet, in most cases, people are there to help one another. From that night, I was forced to change my perception. I’d return someone’s wallet, so why wouldn’t other people want to do the same? A few days ago, I broke my foot, I wish I could say it happened from doing something adventurous—a failed backflip off a cliff, a skydive landing gone wrong, a flipped quad-bike—but it was simply a rolled foot on a very mundane pavement. I have been blown away by the amount of support I have received from complete strangers in the last week. People have driven me to the shops and doctor’s appointments, and they’ve even piggy-backed me so I can go sit on the beach. As a solo-traveller, you appreciate these acts of kindness so much that, in turn, you become more aware of the value of being kind to others.
You take in the magic of life
“I found myself surrendering to my own rhythm, experiencing a sense of one-ness unlike I ever have before; a one-ness with the earth and an understanding that life has beauty in every corner”
When you go on adventures alone you are entirely present in the moment. Some of my favourite moments on my trip were spent in my own company, notably days ambling through National Parklands. During this time, away from the distraction of conversation, I was completely present and able to take in my surroundings. I felt the cool tingle of the sea air on my skin, heard the warble of the birds above, and witnessed the fins of dolphins slicing the water below. My breathing slowed and my mind followed suit. I found myself surrendering to my own rhythm, experiencing a sense of one-ness unlike I ever have before; a one-ness with the earth and an understanding that life has beauty in every corner, your eyes just need to be open to seeing it.
There are varying definitions of freedom, but for the most part to be free is to have the choice to do what one pleases without restraint. I’ve always taken my freedom for granted in Australia, never questioning that the world was my oyster: I could travel to far off lands, do what I pleased—within reason!—and had the security in knowing that possibilities were infinite. As the world disintegrated into chaos, imposed restrictions that altered my plans entirely, left me grappling for air in a world that no longer made sense to me. More than ever we are being forced to think outside the box, I would have never dreamed of doing “travel” in a place relatively familiar to me. From swimming naked in the ocean under glowing amber skies, to flying along highways in a van, I have discovered that, now more than ever, freedom is something that comes from within. How will you choose to unleash it?
Image by Delila Bevan Zavadsky
