What up Love,
You've probably heard it said before: "Do you want to be a traveler, or a tourist?"
Groan, right?
Naturally, we all want to be the super authentic traveler who has unique experiences and maximizes every moment of our trip. We want to be able to tell stories that make people say, "wow!"
I figured out pretty early on in my travels that there are a few key ways to get those authentic and unique experiences, and it's actually pretty simple:
Leave room for serendipity in your itinerary.
As a solo traveler, you have an incredible opportunity to have more 'wow' experiences when you travel. Why? Because you can do whatever you want, when you want, with anyone who you meet along the way.
You can say YES more, you can be open, and you can be the chief architect of your adventure.
This is what led me to some crazy adventures like hitchhiking across two provinces in China, becoming the guest of honor at a karaoke party in Malaysia, being the only foreigner on a ferry in Indonesia where the locals gave me rice and bananas and took selfies with my sunglasses on, getting a magic tattoo from a monk in Thailand, trekking for two weeks straight in Nepal and SO MANY other amazing stories that most people, and even travelers for that matter, will never experience because of their rigid plans or because they're traveling with someone else who doesn't want to do those things.
Here are some tips that I find really help me to have incredible and unique adventures as a solo traveler:
- Stay somewhere social that allows you to meet others, like a hostel (or if that's not your scene, join meetup.com, couchsurf, or attend couchsurfing.org events)
- Talk to travelers who you resonate with and ask them where you should go next. They know SO MUCH BETTER than the guidebooks do because their information is as current as possible
- Smile and make it a point to be approachable, friendly, and kind to everyone and you'll be shocked at how many doors open
Embrace the possibility of having an unplanned adventure.
In tomorrow's email, I want to tell you about one of the BIGGEST benefits of traveling, especially solo.
Did you know that we are genetically wired to crave new adventures and that your pleasure receptors will be overloaded with joy when you embark on your trip? I'll tell you all about that in the next email. Stay tuned!
- Kristin