The Power of Solo Travel

Kristin:    00:00:00    This week marks the one-year anniversary of my first book, Digital Nomads for Dummies. So thank you so much for all of the support During this year. We have nearly 45-star ratings on Amazon, and if you haven't read the book yet, then you can find it on Kindle audiobook or paperback at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or wherever you buy your books. We'll link to it in the show notes. But Digital Nomads for Dummies is everything that you need to know to get started in a location independent lifestyle. You can learn what this lifestyle is all about and whether it's the right lifestyle for you. You have tips for how to find remote jobs or how to start your own business, and also how to maintain your career while living and working or slow traveling away from home. So whether you are just getting started in the lifestyle, you're just curious about it, or you are a nomad veteran, there is something in this book for you, travel solo, travel with your family, travel abroad, or travel within your home country. So if you want this step-by-step guide to achieving location independence, then check out Digital Nomads for Dummies. Leave us your five-star reviews and get your adventure started.  

Introduction: Welcome to Badass Digital Nomads, where we're pushing the boundaries of remote work and travel, all while staying grounded with a little bit of old school philosophy, self-development, and business advice from our guests. 

Kristin Wilson, Host:    00:01:43    Hey there, Kristin Wilson from Traveling with Kristin here, and welcome to episode 222 of Badass Digital Nomads. Today is a solo episode where we are talking about solo travel, the power of solo travel, the art of solo travel, and 15 things I wish I knew before I started solo traveling. I've been doing this for a really long time, as you'll hear in today's episode, and I have a lot of tips and insights to share with you. And I'd also be interested to know what your solo travel experience has been. How has it been for you, or are you still anticipating your first trip as a solo traveler, or are you still on the fence about if you want to try it yourself? I know, the first time I ever solo traveled, it was very intimidating. So I've, I've been on all sides of this coin.  

Kristin:    00:02:41    But, uh, this podcast is also part of the podcast is on my YouTube channel, uh, that as a Solo Travel video that we will link to in the show notes. And if you're listening to this podcast before September 15th, if you go over to that video and comment and leave your thoughts, then you'll be automatically entered to win a free $350 gift card from Tortuga Backpacks. Tortuga Backpacks is a company that I've been supporting and I've known about since I became a digital nomad because they have a lot of remote employees and it is confounded by Travelers for Travelers and we even had some of their employees on the podcast talking about the gender wage gap for women and and remote workers. So I'll also link to that podcast episode in the show notes. It was quite a few years ago now, I believe in 2019.  

Kristin:    00:03:42    But Tortuga Backpacks has some great backpacks that are carry-on sized, easy to pack, comfortable to carry, and you can use them for travel for long trips or they're laptop bags for everyday work or as a personal item on the plane. So these are really comfortable backpacks that are really well-designed, well organized, and very durable. It packs like a suitcase, but carries like a backpack, as they say, the nearly perfect blend of backpack and luggage. So $350 can get you some nice stuff on their website. So head over to the solo travel video, leave your thoughts on the topic and you'll be entered to win this gift card. I'll share with you some of my favorite comments at the end of the podcast, some of the top ranked comments on the video so far. Uh, but first we have some big news and that is that we have new podcast art.  

Kristin:    00:04:44    This has been a couple months in the works now and big shout out to all of my Patreon patrons who have been patiently reviewing different podcast art designs and letting me know their favorites and their thoughts. We had some really detailed graphic design feedback there and we've gone through a lot of iterations of the art. So I am so pleased to share the new art with you today. I think it will be out today, I hope so because we've announced it already. And, you know, Badass Digital Nomads needed a little bit of a a makeover because we had the same art since the launch in May of 2019. So it was about time that we did a little refresh there of the name and the brand, but I really like how it turned out. I really like the logo and I'm really excited for the next era of Badass Digital Nomads with the new art.  

Kristin:    00:05:38    Also, thank you to Kayla, Nora and Josephine for the new podcast reviews. Big shout out and thank you. You know, I get hundreds of emails every day, but I love getting emails that say you have a new podcast review, so keep them coming everyone we love reading your five star reviews and feedback about the show, more new stuff over on YouTube as I have a video out about what to wear and what not to wear so that you don't look like a tourist when you're traveling. So you can check that out. I also published a new video this week about Ireland and Northern Ireland, kind of a travel vlog slash travel guide there, so a vlog experience, but also with some travel tips and highlights from the places that I toured around Belfast and the northern coast of Ireland. So this is a bit of a different video than I've been doing lately and I really hope that you enjoy it.  

Kristin:    00:06:39    A little bit more of personal insights into my everyday traveling lifestyle and also some good tips and practical info in there for you as well as I'm getting ready to head to Denver, Colorado for the International Living Ultimate Go Overseas Bootcamp. I am looking forward to seeing some of you there, so make sure to catch up with me at the networking events or in the exhibitors hall where I will have a table. And you know, something happened this week that you know when you're getting ready to go for a trip and it seems like sometimes everything's happening at the same time. So I've had my same MacBook Pro since 2017 and it appears that it's on its way out and the battery's not charging well, the touch bar is broken, the keyboard is broken, and you know, it's just too expensive to fix these laptops when they break.  

Kristin:    00:07:37    And so I wanted to share this with you because one of the things that I consult my relocation clients on and Ready to Relocate, uh, community members is that you know what to pack when you are moving overseas. And also what are some of the logistical things to do and the paperwork as far as updating your banking information, changing banks, changing your mailing address, uh, document management, things like that, ordering credit cards, debit cards. And another thing to think about is your big ticket purchases something like a laptop, because I've never had to buy a new laptop while I was overseas, but if you buy with Apple in another country, then you're going to get the charger for that country, although you can swap it out or get a travel adapter, but you also may be stuck with the Apple Care plan in that country and not able to get service in another country.  

Kristin:    00:08:35    So you wanna make sure that you're buying your hardware in the country that you're going to be spending the most time in or in your home country. And so what I found out was that the laptop that I wanted to get had to be custom made, isn't going to be ready in time by the time I get to the US and so I actually had to buy another computer, I'll, I'll need to buy two computers, basically a MacBook Air that I can use temporarily. And then when I go back to the US for the holidays buy the, the MacBook Pro that I need to do my work and my video editing because the same exact computer that I want from the US is over a thousand dollars more expensive in the UK because of shipping rates and taxes and manufacturing costs. And so basically it was either pay a premium for the same laptop that I'm going to get anyway, or get an extra MacBook Air refurbished for free for a thousand dollars, not for free, but for that same price difference for a thousand dollars.  

Kristin:    00:09:44    So I'll end up having two computers instead of one, uh, which is kind of nice to be able to, to use a, a MacBook Air for kind of your everyday use and then keep your more valuable computer at home, like your desktop computer or your MacBook Pro so you're not exposing it to theft or damage or anything like that. So another thing to keep in mind, uh, when you're traveling and you know the prices of these products is going to vary a lot around the world. So enjoy this episode on solo travel. Enjoy the new podcast art and see you on the other side.  

Kristin:    00:10:21    You think you know who you are until you solo travel and then you question everything. Have you ever thought about traveling the world by yourself but you weren't sure if you could do it or if you would even like it? That's how I used to feel as well. But after 20 years of solo traveling through more than 60 countries, my perception on solo travel has changed. So if you're thinking about doing it someday, then in this video I'm gonna share with you 15 things that might happen if you decide to solo travel. Also, if you're new to my channel and you comment on this video and subscribe for the first time, you'll be automatically entered to win a $350 Tortuga gift card that you can use for any backpack, luggage, or travel accessories on their website. The first thing that happens when you solo travel is you feel all of the feelings.  

Kristin:    00:11:20    You might feel nervous, you might feel anxious, you might feel scared, you might feel excited and probably a combination of things, but just go with it because these are just emotions they're going to pass and they're going to change. The very first time that I traveled somewhere by myself was to Costa Rica when I was 20 years old and I was so nervous on the plane that I actually started crying as the plane landed. I could remember staring out the window at night and just seeing all of the lights go by and it was even raining, and I just felt so scared and so alone and so apprehensive about what I was going to experience there. But fortunately, as soon as I got there, within a day or two, those nerves were replaced with just excitement and euphoria and this sense of freedom of being in a foreign country by myself for the first time.  

Kristin:    00:12:18    Another thing that will inevitably happen is that you're gonna mess up. Sometimes you're gonna make mistakes, you might get lost, you might get scammed, but throughout all of those experiences you're going to learn and those uncomfortable experiences when you mess up, they are a few and far between, and I've had them as well. I've been pickpocketed while buying pizza in Prague. I've been scammed exchanging money at the Nicaragua border, and I once bought a car that was a complete lemon in Costa Rica and had to give it back. I mean, these things are gonna happen. Um, so just be aware that you're gonna make mistakes sometimes because you're in a foreign place where you don't know the culture and you might not know anyone at first. So just be prepared that there might be a certain percentage of times that you make the wrong decision or you do the wrong thing in hindsight, but you can always learn from that and then you'll be stronger moving forward.  

Kristin:    00:13:20    And what this results in is that you develop a lot of street smarts and you learn to rely on yourself more. You become more independent, you become more resourceful, you become more resilient, and you just realize that you're capable of hand handling anything that life throws at you. And this can be a very empowering feeling when you're outside of your comfort zone, you're in another country and you're having to figure things out on your own regardless of how long you solo travel for, if it's for just a couple of days or weeks or months or even a year or more when you come back to your hometown or your home country after doing that, you're going to have a lot more confidence that you were able to develop while you were troubleshooting and problem solving while traveling alone. <laugh>, I have some company here. Hello.

Kristin:    00:14:23    How's everyone today? I don't have any food. I don't have any food, sorry, <laugh>. So you might learn a lot of really practical skills like street smarts, navigation, how to get around, lots of travel hacking skills. So you can use your points and save money on travel, but you also might learn things that you didn't necessarily have to know before, like how to check your oil or water levels in your car or figure out why your car broke down in the middle of Central America. But through those experiences, you also learn how to ask for help and depend on other people. And when you're traveling with someone else or you're traveling in a group, you might go for help within the group, but when you're traveling by yourself, you'll be able to rely on strangers. And you'll realize that traveling by yourself isn't that scary or dangerous and that everybody out there just wants to help you.  

Kristin:    00:15:29    So for all of the times that I got a flat tire or my car broke down in the middle of Nicaragua, if it was in front of someone's house, people would always come out to help. They'd help me tow my car or they'd pull over on the side of the road or something like that. And so you will find that you are able to ask for help and uh, talk to strangers that you wouldn't talk to if you were in your hometown. But you also learn how to avoid attracting unwanted attention. And you learn how to protect yourself in very intuitive ways. You do start to develop this sixth sense that is a protection mechanism and it's quite effective. I feel like my instincts have been sharpened so much from so many years of travel that even before I go somewhere, I can sense if it's a good idea or not.  

Kristin:    00:16:29    And there have been many times where I just had a gut instinct not to go with someone somewhere or to leave a certain place or leave a house. And I'm not exactly sure how that works, but I know that this sixth sense has definitely been enhanced by years of traveling the world, and it hasn't failed me yet. You also meet a lot of people now. I've traveled with friends, family members, significant others, I've been on group tours, I've lived at co-living spaces and traveled with big groups of people. And even though you meet people when you go on group travel trips, there's something about traveling by yourself that makes you more open to meeting people and it gives you more chances for that kind of serendipity to kick in. This can happen in the most unlikely scenarios, but it can also be something that you intentionally plan.  

Kristin:    00:17:29    So there have been times that I've literally just bumped into people on the street walking into a building, or one night when I was in Serbia crossing a bridge in Belgrade, I ran into two German guys and we ended up going to get pizza and becoming friends and we're still in touch today. So it can happen completely by chance. But then you can also go to meetups and conferences and events and even using apps like meetup.com or looking up events on Facebook, going to things like that, you can meet so many other people, but you really only need to meet one person to be able to access their group of friends. And so really one thing leads to another. But I've used a app called A Small World to go to a dinner party in Berlin, and I met a ton of people from around the world that way.  

Kristin:    00:18:25    I used InterNations.org to join up with a group of people who are going to OktoberFest and I've used meetup.com and also even dating apps like Bumble, like dating and friendship and networking apps to meet people around the world. So you can do that, but then you can also go to a conference or a big event in the place that you're traveling to. You can go to a digital nomad related event. But um, just going to one thing and just making that an effort to meet people. You'll meet more people than you can even be friends with, along with the friends that you make when you're traveling by yourself. You'll also inevitably meet a special someone or two or three. And this can be something as casual as a spring fling or a summer fling, but you can also meet your soulmate this way. And I've met so many solo travelers who met someone on the road and they ended up getting married.  

Kristin:    00:19:26    I met one of my long-term ex-boyfriends in Costa Rica. I've met past boyfriends on a beach in Croatia while I was surfing in Bali and even in a beer garden one time in Munich. So you never know when it's gonna happen, but you can also use those apps and going to events and things like that to meet a significant other. And it's always really fun to date and have relationships when you're traveling because it can almost feel like you're on a honeymoon. <laugh>, you might be in a very romantic scenario, you might be somewhere with a very beautiful backdrop and that can just make it more fun and exciting. And sure sometimes it doesn't last and sometimes you're just passing through town and you might never see that person again. But sometimes it can actually result in a very significant and serious long-term relationship or even marriage.  

Kristin:    00:20:30    And that's one of the really fun parts of traveling by yourself is just the people you meet and the people you date. But what about loneliness? This is something that is probably a big concern for you because when you're solo traveling, you're by yourself a lot, right? But ironically, I actually feel less lonely when I solo travel than I did in my normal life before I ever started traveling. And I'm not really sure how to explain this scientifically, but if you've ever solo traveled before, maybe you can relate. But it has to do with, I think getting to know yourself better and enjoying spending time with yourself and also recognizing that your decision to solo travel is a choice. And so you're just kind of going on this journey with yourself and you end up having a lot more quiet moments and just time to think, time to reflect on things. 

Kristin:    00:21:32    And you ultimately start to really enjoy your company. You start to know yourself better and know yourself more like what you like, what you don't like, and you aren't afraid of experiencing loneliness because you understand that it's a universal emotion that everyone can relate to and that everyone feels sometimes, and you're going to feel it whether you're traveling or not. I've felt lonely when I was at parties. I felt lonely when I was with family and friends or when I was with a significant other. Feeling lonely doesn't mean you have to be surrounded by people to not feel lonely. Like you can feel lonely standing in the middle of New York City, whether you're traveling or not, whether you're in a relationship or not. And whether you have five kids or not, like it's something that can just happen because we are humans. It's also a lot easier now with technology because it's easier to stay in touch with people.  

Kristin:    00:22:37    We have social media, we have FaceTime, and I know what it's like to travel without the internet and also with the internet. And so that can help as well. And this is about finding a balance between alone time and also social time because as I mentioned, you can meet a lot of people when you're traveling and you can meet significant others and you could end up being pretty busy. <laugh> actually. Also with solo travel, you get to experience what ultimate freedom feels like. It's kind of like when you graduate from high school and you feel free for the first time because you don't have to go to class anymore, kind of feels like that. Or when you get your driver's license and you can go wherever you want for the first time. Solo travel feels like that, but even more elevated and you can do whatever you want to do in your day.  

Kristin:    00:23:36    But then you also get this feeling that you can do whatever you want at any time in your life. And this can be as simple as, you know, waking up in the morning and asking yourself, what do I wanna do today? And it could be go to the coffee shop, it could be open your laptop and do some work. It could be hop on a train or a plane and go somewhere else. I mean, I, I was in Brazil one day and I just decided from one day to the next, I'm going to Bueno Aires. And I just often went to Bueno Aires for a month. Um, but you know, even today, like just wanting to go for a walk outside and film this video, not having to answer to anyone or not having a schedule, especially if you're traveling and you're retired or if you're traveling and you work remotely and you can set your own hours, that is something that even after 20 years of traveling under different circumstances, whether it was as a study abroad student or working for myself, it is something that never gets old.  

Kristin:    00:24:39    And of course, you know, you could have some constraints with your work or with your finances, um, or with other people that you're going to be traveling with. But solo travel is this very surreal type of feeling where you just find yourself in some far off place with all of the freedom and potential that you could ever imagine. And I'm so grateful that we're living in a time where we're able to do this. And especially being a woman, I think being a single solo traveling female, it never before has it really been possible until recent years for women to have so much freedom to be able to do whatever we want for work and live wherever we want and decide what we want to do with our time, and have that financial and location freedom. So it's something that I really cherish, and even if I settle down someday, I'll continue to always travel.  

Kristin:    00:25:42    And even if I'm married or have kids, I will still solo travel because I really value these, uh, pockets and moments of freedom so much. And I feel like it's such a good opportunity to just connect with yourself and what you want from life, and not just from this day, but long term. Did I also mention that solo travel is really fun? You can have so many spontaneous adventures as you're meeting people and you're finding yourself in all of these different places, and it, it gives you the opportunity to have experiences that you wouldn't necessarily have at home. Like I'm from Florida and I spent many years living in Costa Rica, and there were times that a friend and I would just ride our four-wheelers up the Pacific coast to go surfing for the weekend and like get a hostel and just go wherever the best waves were.  

Kristin:    00:26:41    Uh, there was a time that I got invited to a raw cacao dance party, like raw chocolate, where we're just eating chocolate and dancing in the rain. And I mean, the list goes on. Even if you only solo travel for a short amount of time, I'm sure that something really random and really incredible is gonna happen. So you can have a lot of fun. You can meet up with other people and join their adventures, but then if you're solo traveling, you'll also inev inevitably have more quality time to yourself. And this can be time that you can use for just journaling, reflection, reading, but you can also use this time to pursue a hobby or learn a new skill or progress toward a goal. And I think that that's something that's very underrated about solo travel. It's not just about having Instagram worthy adventures or meeting a ton of people, but it's also about getting to know yourself and giving yourself time and space to know what you want out of life, uh, without all of the noise and distractions.  

Kristin:    00:27:47    And so that's something that I really cherish about the opportunity of solo travel. Another very positive side effect of solo travel that can happen to varying degrees, depending on how long you're traveling for, is that you start to know yourself on a deeper level. And you start to figure out who you are outside of the influences from your home country, your community, your family, your school, your classmates, your workplace. And it's kind of like peeling back the layers of an onion. Like you think you know who you are until you solo travel and then you question everything. You can question your beliefs. You can, you can question your religion, your political affiliation. And this can sound like, wow, that's a lot. But it does happen very gradually over time, and I think it can only be a positive thing the more that people get out there and travel, the wider you expand your worldview and the more that you question the things that you were told.  

Kristin:    00:28:51    I often say that I spent the first seven years of my time traveling the world unlearning so many things that I thought to be true from growing up in the us. And so I think this is, um, a really a interesting side effect of solo travel, but I think it is a positive for you and the people that you come in contact with. Another thing that I think happens, at least in my own case, is that you inevitably become a bit more humble, a bit more grateful, a bit more laid back and low maintenance. And I think that this is because the longer that you travel, especially if you're solo traveling, the more you're going to experience that very unglamorous side of travel. There could be moments when food is scarce where you don't have hot water, where you don't have a comfortable place to sleep.  

Kristin:    00:29:52    Maybe you're sleeping on a floor or on a couch or in an airport, you experience some hardships, but then you also witness what other people are experiencing. And in many cases, that could be living under very dire circumstances or very extreme poverty. And so I think it just makes you a bit more, uh, conscientious about what other people are going through, maybe have a little bit more empathy and also be, uh, less likely to complain when things don't go your way. Because when you travel a lot of un things, unplanned things can happen. And so things aren't always going to be perfect. And um, this is something that I notice a lot when I am traveling with other people that maybe only get to travel one week per year on their one week of vacation. And so there's a lot of pressure to make it a perfect trip, you know, a perfect holiday.  

Kristin:    00:30:51    And so you start to notice that, you know, if the plane is delayed 20 minutes, sometimes people are gonna be really upset, but that's not something that is going to bother me. And so that's when I start to notice those differences. And I, I wonder if before I started traveling, I was a bit more, uh, uptight about those things and um, less aware. And then a weird phenomena that I've noticed since I started solo traveling is that you start to remember more like you start to associate memories with places and dates. Like I can tell you that I broke down on my four by four in the middle of the rain at night on my way home in Costa Rica in October of 2005. I can tell you that in the spring of 2019, I was in Paris taking a travel writing workshop, and then I flew to Vilnius, Lithuania to meet with my friends Johnny and Sam.  

Kristin:    00:31:50    And I can remember spending my birthday in Positano, Italy in 2017. And when I am back home in Florida, the days and the months and the years can kind of start to blur together. But when you solo travel, especially if you travel full-time, uh, being in different places allows you to remember these things more clearly. And kind of along the same lines of getting to know yourself better when you travel alone, and especially if you travel abroad, you kind of stop caring what other people think. Uh, when you grow up at home and through childhood and adulthood, it, it can be very important what other people think, what people in your social circle think what, what your coworkers think. And when you travel full time and when you solo travel, you get to know yourself very well, as I mentioned, and you just care less and less about what other people think back at home.  

Kristin:    00:32:53    You become more self-confident and more self-assured and, and, and thinking more about the big picture, uh, rather than how to escape the gossip circle. And another benefit of solo travel is that it can help you to blend in easier with your surroundings or to assimilate and integrate more with local culture. You know, the more people that you're traveling with, the bigger the group and the faster that you're traveling, the harder this can be to achieve, to really, uh, integrate with the local community. But when you are traveling by yourself, you can be more approachable and you have more of those moments for serendipity and connection with local people outside of the comfort zone of your travel bubble or your friends or whoever you're with. So if you are solo traveling, then make sure to take advantage of that and strike up conversations with locals. Try to learn as much as possible about the place that you're visiting.  

Kristin:    00:34:02    And if you're traveling with other people or in a group, then just try to be mindful of that and either escape for some alone time where you can explore by yourself or to be intentional about that being something that you want to do while you're there and get your other friends and travel companions onboard. But whether you travel by yourself or with someone else, the important thing is that you travel and no matter where you go or how long you stay if you travel, your life will surely change. So I hope that this video helped you anticipate what you might experien ce if you solo travel the world. And if I missed anything, then let me know in the comments below. If you're new here, I'm Kristin. I make videos about travel culture and living abroad. Make sure you have your notification bells on so that you don't miss any new videos, and I look forward to seeing you again soon. I hope that this episode gave you a lot to think about when it comes to planning your next solo travel trip or your first trip. Thanks again to thanks again to Nora, Kayla, and Josephine for the new five star reviews today. And  

Kristin:    00:35:30    Thanks again to Nora, Kayla, and Josephine for all the new five star reviews this week. And please leave a review wherever you listen, and also check out the YouTube version of this video on my YouTube channel Traveling with Kristin, where if you comment your experience about solo travel, you can enter to win a $350 gift card from Tortuga backpacks. There are about 500 comments on this video. We've got a great conversation going on over there, so I encourage you to check it out. Anyway,  

Kristin:    00:36:18    Deb says that she's been traveling alone for a long time, about 30 years, and as a single woman, it was nerve wracking in the beginning, especially before the internet and cell phones and social media, which lets you stay connected, but it's become her new normal, although she mentioned that she always travels to relatively quote unquote safe countries in Europe and Asia still doesn't feel brave enough to go every place she wants since safety is a top concern. But she started with a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, and then as she continued traveling, she gained more confidence and a greater sense of freedom. And that was particularly important for her as a quote, painfully shy and introverted woman end quote. But she also says, I love your videos. You're one of the few solo female travelers. I love to watch and appreciate your trips. She's planning to retire in the near future and travel long term if everything goes well.  

Kristin:    00:37:16    Well, thanks Deb for sharing your comment, because I think a lot of people in the comments as well have written that they are pretty shy and pretty introverted, and so they weren't sure if solo travel was for them. But as a, as a fellow introverted extrovert, I felt the same way. And I think that when you, when you do solo travel and you're out of your comfort zone, you end up finding yourself more extroverted. So if you think that you're introverted, then give it a try and you will probably meet some great people either way.

Kristin: Janice says, solo travel is like a journey back to yourself, fewer distractions and greater freedom. I learned to love myself without conforming. I love that Janice. Solo travel is a journey back to yourself. And sometimes it's, it's getting to know yourself for the first time. And that's something that I tried to articulate in this podcast about how you get to know yourself on a deeper level, and you also get to know yourself with, uh, fewer filters and impressions that you would get back in your hometown. It's kind of like, you know, a, a fish not knowing if it's in a fishbowl. It's like when we grow up in the same place, we, we aren't necessarily aware of how that place, um, affects our, our mindset, our beliefs, what we think is possible,  

Kristin:    00:38:50    Our daily habits, our routines. I mean, we, we learn from imitating others. That's how we learn to walk. That's how we learn to speak. And so this stays with us throughout life. This is, this is how we learn as human beings, but also it can be a restraint and kind of hold us back when we're trying to grow. So, um, going on a solo trip can really elevate your, um, your relationship with yourself and kind of take you to places, uh, that you didn't know were there before.  

Kristin:    00:39:36    Jan says that she's had many highs as well as lows during her solo travel experience, but she's learned so much about herself and now has the resourcefulness of a lioness. I love that she says everything you're saying is so true. After traveling in a group on a study abroad to Italy seven years ago, I knew I'd never wanna travel in a group again. I'm an older lady, ha ha I enjoy my own company and having the freedom to do what I want, what I want. I can't imagine traveling any other way. It would be nice to have dinner with someone sometimes though. So thank you for the meetup suggestions. Thanks Jan for sharing that. Um, I think a lot of people think that group travel and, and study abroad is, is only for younger people, but um, as you'll find on an upcoming podcast that we have with Ms. Nora Dunn, she is doing a co-living experiment this year where she's mostly doing co-living and um, she has been traveling, I believe for 17 years now. So it's good to see both sides and try traveling with friends with a significant other, with a group and also by yourself, see what you like the most and see, uh, when it's appropriate for you to solo travel.  

Kristin:    00:40:56    Don says yes, yes, yes. Kristin, you have nailed the experience of being a solo traveler and the comments on this video are so worth reading. You have a cool online community here. Thank you so much, Don. I have to agree. I know my sister and my mom and my family members agree as well. They're always commenting on how thoughtful and kind and articulate everyone is in our community and, and in the, the comments of the videos, it's really, uh, mind-boggling. So I am always so humbled and impressed with all of the amazing people that are gathered here. But Dawn says, one thing you didn't mention was language learning. That's my way into culture and meetup groups can be a good combination of locals and expats. Yes, Dawn, glad you mentioned that. Language learning is important. I think I mentioned it somewhere, I might have cut that part out.  

Kristin:    00:41:53    Oh, I think at the end, um, where I was saying how it can be easier for you to assimilate into a culture when you're traveling by yourself. That goes for language learning as well, because when you are not around other people that speak your language, you're forced to learn more than you would otherwise if you were traveling with other people in the same language. So that can definitely help. And I'll go ahead and link to the, uh, podcast on learning a language in the show notes. Steve says, I'm retired and I've been a full-time solo traveler for only three years now. I think I felt everything you mentioned in this video except the romantic partner part, maybe that will come anyhow, it is surely a self-discovery process of learning who you are, sometimes scary, but thanks for sharing that. These are normal experiences. My pleasure, Steve, and thank you for sharing that because I think a lot of people can relate and, you know, life, it, it is, it is a process and it is scary sometimes and it is hard sometimes, but we have to have all of those types of experiences to be able to really appreciate the easy times and the really good times and life wouldn't be what it was without the highs and the lows, the ups and the downs.  

Kristin:    00:43:12    And so if you're going through a hard time right now as um, we all are at one time or another at multiple times or another, then know that this too shall pass. That was my quote of the day on my momentum startup page. And, um, just keep on keeping on because whenever I look back at, at hard times and reading my journal entries and things like that, you know, sometimes I can't even really remember what I was talking about or what I was so worried about. You know, obviously some things are more serious than others, but, um, as long as you get another day and another opportunity to live and learn, let's seize that day and take advantage of being here on this beautiful planet. So thank you for spending some time with me today. I look forward to potentially meeting you in person this weekend in Denver, Colorado. Leave your comment on this video for a chance to win that $350 gift card from Tortuga Backpacks, and I will see you again next week for a brand new interview with Nora Dunn, the professional hobo.