Why I Can’t Travel Alone

Since the wanderlust bug hit me, traveling solo has been one of my dreams. Imagine the freedom; doing whatever, wherever and whenever you like! No wake-up calls, no agenda, go where my heart takes me and most importantly, get lost.

I imagined myself getting a Eurail pass, deciding where to go on the train station itself. I would explore cities I’ve never heard off and ask strangers for directions to the best local restaurant in town. I could spend hours in a museum, explore ruins for as long as I like, skip lunch or spend a lazy afternoon in the park, if I wanted to.

But the more I travel and the more I learn about myself, I realized that traveling solo may not be the wisest of all wise plans for me. Some people have told me that sometimes, I can look a bit gullible (no offense taken, don’t worry) but the worst part is, I believe that sometimes, I really could be, especially when I’m alone. Sometimes, I trust people too easily and believe in the best and although that sometimes gets me far, it can also be scary and outright dangerous.

Or maybe “Taken” really just affected me too much. Who can say? 😐

Traveling solo is so tempting to do especially when you’re young and fresh out of school. If I didn’t promise my parents that I will get a real job after they agreed to let me go on a Holy Land tour after graduation, I might have seriously gone backpacking (in fact, I’ve already drafted some plans, eep!)

But I guess all I’m saying here is, if you’re thinking about doing it, think twice, thrice, heck, just loads of times before planning! Consider the different situations you might encounter. People can be wonderful and strangers can be heaven-sent, but not always. People can take advantage and mislead you and it might be too late when you find out.

I don’t deny that I envy the backpackers who can travel solo and have a blast. But I know my limitations (although again, I know this is not everyone’s concern!) I always believe that an adventure is worth having only when you survive to tell the tale, so for me, better safe than sorry! I know I can have a grand time seeing the world still even when I’m with others, in fact, sometimes it’s even more fun (like when I’m traveling with my silly husband!)

So have adventures and try new things, but be wise and know yourself; know your weak spots, address those concerns and you can have a wonderful time seeing the world.

Besides, traveling with someone has awesome perks; aside from having someone to share the adventure with, you don’t need to ask strangers to take your photos! 😉

(NOTE: PHOTOS WERE TAKEN DURING OUR PENANG TRIP LAST JUNE 2012 )