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dustbowlrefugee
Sea Gull
Joined: May 15, 2007
Posts: 245
Location: UK
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 Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 8:18 pm Post subject: Solo travelling |
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Not sure if this is the best place to post this or not...
Has anybody ever went travelling on their own? Would you do it, and could you do it? I want to see so much, I love travelling but in the past it had always been with my parents or friends. I'm now considering going off on my own. I know I could manage on my own, I like my own company and dont really get lonely, the thing that is putting me of is the opposite, what if I have to socialise! What do you think, is solo travelling a good or bad idea for somebody socially inept? |
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EvilKimEvil
zoo-music girl
Joined: Sep 27, 2007
Posts: 3038
Location: CA
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| Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 8:32 pm Post subject: |
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| I've done a lot of traveling on my own, and I recently moved across the country on my own to a city where I don't know anyone. I always seem to find a way to get by. |
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pbcoll
Phoenix
Joined: Feb 15, 2007
Posts: 1594
Location: England
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| Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 8:52 pm Post subject: |
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You don't have to socialise, don't worry. I've travelled solo and it was good.
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I am the steppenwolf that never learned to dance. (Sedaka) |
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Scheherazade
Snowy Owl
Joined: Jan 15, 2007
Posts: 149
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| Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 9:27 pm Post subject: |
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I've done some exploring of my own around North America - just picked a city and hopped on a bus and went exploring, though I haven't gone to Europe or Asia. I suspect Europe in particular is an easy place to travel solo, but anywhere where you find a lot of backpackers is pretty decent. If you stay in hostels, you can travel pretty cheaply, but renting a hotel room alone is a lot more expensive for a soloer than for a family.
Another thing I've found in North America (not sure about elsewhere) is that during the summer, colleges and universities often rent out rooms like hostel accommodation. It's about the same price as a hostel - something like $30-70 a night, depending on the size of the city, but it's generally cleaner than a hostel and you get more independence (your own room, no curfew, and people don't expect you to hang out with them). I'm sure you can also find something like that in other countries as well.
I did a 6-day trip to Boston and New York, and I spent about 3 nights of that week sleeping on the bus (the ride to New York, the ride to Boston, and then the ride home), so I got 6 days of vacation and only had to rent a room for 3 nights. It was a little tiring because it's hard to sleep on a bus unless you're exhausted, but it's a cheap place to sleep for the night. The train is usually nicer (can't speak for Amtrak, but the Via in Canada is really cozy) and you can get train passes in many countries that give you unlimited travel for a certain number of days - so you can explore the country and crash for a few hours as well... |
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Josie
Deinonychus
Joined: Apr 26, 2008
Posts: 386
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| Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 2:08 am Post subject: |
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Yea, I feel the same way. All my traveling as been with friends and family too. I may go somewhere alone this summer for my first time.
I am scare to socialize with people I dont know. |
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MissConstrue
Aquarius
Joined: Feb 05, 2008
Age: 26
Posts: 10219
Location: Anywhere but HERE!
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| Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 3:44 am Post subject: |
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I would be confused and sick to my stomach from getting lost. Not to mention those that I ask help from looking at me as though I were that stupid. 
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dustbowlrefugee
Sea Gull
Joined: May 15, 2007
Posts: 245
Location: UK
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| Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 8:38 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the replies everybody. It's boosted my confidence a little. I'm thinking about going to India, Nepal, Thailand or Vietnam. All of these places get a lot of backpackers each year so I wouldn't stand out too much...
MissConstrue, getting lost's all part of the fun  I keep telling myself, it doesn't matter what anybody thinks of me when I'm away, there on the other side of the world and I'll never see them again.
Does anybody have any destinations they would like to go to sometime? |
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MissConstrue
Aquarius
Joined: Feb 05, 2008
Age: 26
Posts: 10219
Location: Anywhere but HERE!
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| Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 9:14 am Post subject: |
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Egypt to see the gigantic pyramids and sphinx.
England to see the London Bridge.
Ireland to how green it really is and the leprachauns of course.
Alaska to see what's left of the wilderness.
Canada same thing as Alaska.
France to see the Eiffel Tower.
Venice Italy to see the buildings errected from bodies of water.
New Zealand because of its natural beauty
Australia to see all the exotic creatures such as the Kangaroos, Coala bears, and crockeys.
Pompeii to see the casted ruins of great city that had been attacked thousands of years ago.
I would go to Iraq except I'm not fond of guns and tanks.
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YowlingCat
Phoenix
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Joined: Feb 12, 2007
Posts: 993
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| Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 12:30 pm Post subject: |
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| MissConstrue wrote: |
England to see the London Bridge.
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London Bridge is in Lake Havasu City, Arizona  |
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MissConstrue
Aquarius
Joined: Feb 05, 2008
Age: 26
Posts: 10219
Location: Anywhere but HERE!
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| Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 2:19 pm Post subject: |
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Really? 
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YowlingCat
Phoenix
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Joined: Feb 12, 2007
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MissConstrue
Aquarius
Joined: Feb 05, 2008
Age: 26
Posts: 10219
Location: Anywhere but HERE!
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| Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 2:17 am Post subject: |
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I must've been thinking of that London song..........
OK I'd go to the UK to see the Stone Henges and castles? 
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wsmac
WP Elevator Operator - What Floor Please?
Joined: Sep 01, 2007
Posts: 2735
Location: Humboldt County, Little Blue House on the Corner
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| Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 2:50 am Post subject: |
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If you're going to be travelling to Asia, you should really do your homework on diseases, countries with domestic problems involving their miliary, and conditions involving safety when riding in buses, trains, ferries, etc.
I have not traveled in that part of the world so I am only passing this on from what I have heard before.
I'd love to go to Vietnam, Laos, Tibet, Mongolia and too many other places 
I'd love to take my daughter overseas before she graduates high school.
We've talked about wanting to go to England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland... Norway, Finland (for the World Air Guitar Championships! ), pretty much all over those places.
I also want to take her to New Zealand and Australia, maybe visit some of the smaller islands around there.
I'd love to go to Africa... ALL OVER!
My daugther did get to go to Costa Rica with an Aunt/Uncle/Cousin two years ago. That was cool!
Actually, I can't think of an area anywhere in the world I would not want to visit.
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fides solus
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LIBRARIES... Hardware stores for the mind |
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TrueDave
is learning the hard way.
Joined: Jul 28, 2007
Posts: 1062
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| Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 8:10 pm Post subject: |
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I've lived all through the Pacific islands. Taiwan, Indonesia etc.
The great thing is when you show up everyone already knows youre from a different planet because you are obviously a westerner.
Satay away from other tourists and you'll be fine. Learn the language.
I feel more comfortable in foreign countries than in my home city because of the margin of error I'm given. |
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Tohlagos
Phoenix
Joined: Apr 26, 2008
Age: 37
Posts: 670
Location: Boise, ID
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| Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 9:00 pm Post subject: |
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From my experience of traveling alone I feel it can be benefit in itself.
Regardless of where you are going or what you are seeing, you get to focus more on what the point of your travel is about. You don't have in the back of your mind a time schedule as much as you would with someone else with you. You don't have to worry about what anyone else wants to see or not. You get to stay as long at once place or as short as you want.
You also learn things about yourself since you have to rely on yourself to get things done.
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Ah yes... that hurricane of hate and anger still swirls with reckless abandon within the recess of my soul... may the peace and light in the center of that never-ending storm lead me to that promised paradise... I only have faith in what I know. |
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