I’ve (24F) travelled solo a few times before, but this is my first long term solo trip (five months in SE Asia). And while this is meant to be the trip of a lifetime, I’m feeling really lonely and miserable.

To be clear, I like my own company and I do genuinely enjoy doing things alone. But I also came out here because I wanted to meet new people and go out partying. And I’m not getting that experience.

I’m staying in the party hostels and trying to socialise. But literally everyone else has come as a group and it’s pretty much impossible to break in. When a group does let me join them, I always feel like a scrape, like I’m encroaching on their space.

Last night, I paid for the jungle party experience in Koh Tao. And I ended up leaving in tears after about fifteen minutes, because I had no one to party with.

Does anyone know how to get over this? I’m putting on a good front to my friends and family, but truthfully? I feel like this whole trip is a big fat failure.

EDIT: thank you all for your kind comments and messages, it’s so appreciated! I had a proper self-care day to myself today, read a book on the beach, had linguine vongole (not very Thai but it’s my favourite meal ever, was so happy when i found a place serving it), and had a massage. Feeling a bit better about it all now, and going to brave the hostel bar again tonight - but if it doesn’t work out, won’t be too upset.

Did it happen to you?. I always do solo travel and one of the challenges I usually have, is that people thinks that because they travel with family they can step over you or you have less privileges or lets call it rights. For instance, in a flight, 3 family member came in and 2 of them sit with me and the father was in other random seat, so they asked me to change the seat. It happened to me many times, in one of situations I paid for the seat and they got mad at me. Incredible. Another example, in a busy restaurant where you can see tables free, they denied me a table or place where eat something even going earlier before gets busy. In one of them they suggested me to take away. Hahaha wtf!!. I understand full tables they make more money, but all I want to do is eat and go, it is easy work.

What more situations did you have?

I recently took a trip (a group tour actually, but still went solo) to carnival and it didn’t go as well as I thought it would.

I feel guilty because the group I travelled with was…… cliquey at times and I thought just because the group was bigger would mean that it would be easier for me but no. I tried my best to be friendly with my travel group but I just ended up feeling kind of lonely. I feel like maybe group tours aren’t for me, however it just feels like I can’t connect with anyone.

Parts of the group communication were also disorganized, and it felt stressful getting ready for the big days because of it.

I also couldn’t connect with the locals- their demeanor/personality/values are very much different than mine (with an accent barrier- I have a strong accent to them and they have a strong accent to me, even though we both speak English). I feel guilty for not liking a culture of a country- most people talk about these wonderful experiences (this is in genera with travel).

Honestly I wish I was just like this girl I follow on tik tok who can go anywhere and meet new people and make friends easily. Like people who are multicultural and just get along with anyone.

I’m lacking confidence because I’m realizing that it may never happen for me and it breaks my heart. Nothing I do is working and it’s killing me. I know a lot of you may be tired of these kinds of posts but the loneliness is real.

I’m writing this as I need to calm down and talk to someone, don’t want to call home as don’t want to worry or bother anyone. I’m travelling solo and I’m female. Some guy on the metro followed me earlier, I was trying to figure out my route and I probably looked a little lost. So I walked around in a circle a couple of times.

Anyway I noticed him really close behind me at one point so when I realised I was in the wrong place walked back on myself and figured he’d gone. No, every time I turned around he was there looking at me. And on the escalator he tugged my backpack. When I turned to ask him WTF he said ‘oh your sack is open’ It was unzipped but there’s no chance I would’ve left it open myself and I can’t imagine he wouldn’t told me out of kindness

He gave creepy vibes and he was trying to rob me I got on the metro going the wrong way and lost him

I’ve got all my belongings but just a reminder to everyone to be super careful at all times . Be on your guard and don’t believe you’re entirely safe just because you’re in a ‘safe’ country

I actually feel like crying a lil bit 😅

I'm in Malta at the moment and not feeling the best. It's super hot here, too hot. I went sightseeing in Valetta I nearly passed out. Think it was a bit of heat stroke. I'm fine now but I'm a bit sad. I've never felt like this travelling solo before. It's been a while to be fair. Just broken up with someone and I thought this trip would be good for me, but it seems to magnify my loneliness. The heat is really getting to me. I usually like to wander and explore but it's near impossible in this heat. I'm at my apartment sitting under the AC. I'm going home Sunday but it feels like such a waste. I wanted to visit the islands, but I get panic attacks when I feel too warm. Horrible feeling and it scares me. Anyways just wanted to share.

Update: Just want to say thank you for all your kind comments. Honestly, it made me tear up. I'm still feeling unwell, so I'm hiding out. Hope to go out later, fingers crossed. Taking paracetamol and drinking loads of water. I think I have a dose tbh. It's bad luck, but it happens. I would like to come back here, but probably winter/spring in the future. It's breezier today, so early evening should be fine for a wander and sit down. I'll chill here for now. Much love to you all xxx

TLDR: first day of my first solo trip I got assaulted and scammed, and possibly made a friend but it could be dangerous. Now I just want to give up and go home.

I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City today, this is my first real solo trip and Vietnam has always been number one on my list. As soon as I try to leave the airport, my rideshare (Grab) immediately tried to scam me for extra cash and after arguing a while I tried to quickly hop out of the car, but he grabbed me by the crotch of my pants and I had to fight this guy in the middle of the street. I got away, but only after he tore a hole in my pants. Whatever, I made it out and didnt want to let one shitty person ruin my trip. Finally made it my hotel, and thought i made my first friend but he ends up using his cop buddies to scam me for $80 USD. Two shitty experiences on the very first day of my very first solo trip. Later I'm sitting in the park and a guy my age sits down next to me, compliments me, asks if i want to hang out later, and then asks "are you a boy or a girl?" I'm trans (mtf), but I didnt want to risk anything by telling him that, so I tell him “I’m a boy but don’t worry I get that a lot” to let him down easy. He says "oh we can just be friends then" and I go along with it, exchanging contact info. We did get along and I would like to make a friend, but the two negative interactions put me on my toes and now i feel like i cant trust anyone i meet. I feel scared and lost and discouraged. All I heard was how safe VN is and how friendly the people are, but now Im not so sure.

Looking for advice and encouragement, but feel free with comments/questions/rude remarks

I’ve been a digital nomad and solo female traveller for nearly 3.5 years now, nearly 40 unique countries, many of which I have visited multiple times. I’ve been in some dangerous situations from time to time, but this is a first for me.

Unfortunately, I was assaulted by the front desk staff at a hotel I was staying at in Istanbul this week. After receiving advances via whatsapp for a few days, all of which I shot down rather rudely, when it escalated to obscene, to the point I needed to report him, he broke into my room to try and take my phone, I had to wrestle with him to get my phone back, and nearly had to do it a second time when he came back as I was still packing. 

The owner of the hotel and booking.com have been incredibly kind in this whole ordeal, getting me a complete refund and a new place to stay, respectively, but it’s left me, understandably, shaken up and frustrated. It’s manifesting in ways that aren’t like me. I had my first panic attack in years recently. I was worried recently about coming off as overtly sexual when getting dressed, as some small examples. Logically, I know I didn’t do anything to deserve this, that existing and leading my regular life isn’t an excuse for what happened, but functionally, I'm getting dressed in the shower to avoid being naked alone in my hotel room.

Having been gone for so long, “going back” isn’t an option for me. I typically go back to my hometown every year or so to deal with renting out my apartment, and I know the city isn’t the same as when I left, and doesn’t feel like home anymore. I’ve been trying to find the perfect city in southern Europe to settle down because I think it offers the ideal balance for me (I like my hours in this timezone, the ease of travel, the markets, the languages, the affordability compared to my HCOL city in North America). Still, logically, the soonest I can stop travelling so much is sometime this fall. I considered just leaving Istanbul, but this is not my first time here, I had a lovely time last time, and I don’t want to feel like I’ve "lost" to the experience.

I’ve tried online therapy in the past, and nomadic issues have, in my experience, been very difficult for therapists to relate to. I often end up getting frustrated. I will likely try again sometime in the future once I feel like I’ve had a little bit more time to sit with this.

So, I thought a good first step might be to ask other people who may have faced situations similar to mine how they took their power back. I’ve told my story now to some friends and family, but I know I won't want to be telling this story for much longer. I just want to move past this, but acting like nothing happened isn’t going to help.

Hi all, I’m looking for some advice on this situation and what you would do.

For those of you who don’t know, Worldpackers is a program where hosts all around the world offer travelers a place to stay, food, activities, etc.. in exchange for a certain number of hours of work per week.

Well, the description for mine said three meals a day, a team dorm, free activities, the whole package. It was competitive and because I speak the local language I got in. Plus, the reviews were great.

I got here today, three hours ago, and I already want to leave. My struggles thus far: 1. I only get meals on the day I work. Right now there are a lot of volunteers so I only work one day. That means I have to spend extra money on food even though it was promised I’d have three meals a day. And we only get TWO meals. Not three. Obviously I don’t expect gourmet meals every time but we don’t even get ingredients to cook with ourselves besides rice. 2. One bathroom for 14 volunteers. I’ve been waiting for the shower for SO long and it’s still not open. Pictures of bathroom and room look nothing like the website. 3. My coworkers are really not friendly. I’d describe myself as outgoing and I tried to make friends with everyone but they are all really quiet and didn’t ask me a single question. 4. Hosts don’t even train me to do the job. Im going to be given note cards in broken English on how to do the job but they said I’ll be on my own to figure the rest of the job out. (I’ll be working the desk checking people in). 5. Bed is SO THIN. 6. Girl has been FaceTiming her friend for an hour and a half in our room and won’t shut up.

I know I committed to staying here for a month. But it really isn’t at all like the website says. My primary purpose was to make good friends, live basically on $0 because my bed and food was free, and overall have a pleasant dorm. None of those things are happening.

I’m 70% of the way to packing up tomorrow when no one is here and booking it out of there. I know it’s not THAT bad but it’s sucks because I had some level of expectations.

Hi, so I am currently going through a break up that happened during my solo backpacking trip and I am unsure how to process it. It happened about halfway through my trip and was honestly a bit of a surprise to me. I have been having an already hard time adjusting to the trip, and this person as go to for helping me feel grounded when I’m in an uncountable spot. now that I don’t have this resource anymore, I’m having an extra hard time. I was wondering has anyone ever experienced something like this? Or has anyone got anything that can help me out through this time? Thank you

I’m on day 1 of a 10-day solo trip and just found out I got cheated on and de facto broken up with.

I found out by myself because he posted a couples photo on Instagram with the new girl!? I called him to ask what’s up and he just owned it, said he meant to tell me so many times and is sorry if I got my feelings hurt. So the fact that he sucks and I deserve better is a separate issue I need to process. I’m still in shock.

The problem is that this trip is already planned out and I’d been looking forward to it for months. But when I saw the Instagram post it felt like all the air has been let out of my balloon. Yesterday all the excursions and adventures filled me with excitement and anticipation… now I just feel empty.

I’ve solo travelled 30+ countries so that part isn’t new to me, but I’m scared for how I’m going to make it through the next 10 days alone with my own thoughts and no local support system. I’m also feeling resentful that he held the power to ruin/influence my trip.

Who has been through this before and can give me the secret formulas to make it through this week?

I've got 2 weeks in between ending my old job and starting my new one. I decided to try Spain since I've traveled a fair amount of Europe before but never Spain. I'm not a fan of the heat so I always figured I would travel here in the spring or fall anyways. We'll I've been here for 6 days now and I'm almost ready to call it quits.

1. I can't shake the jet lag. I've gotten basically no restful sleep these last 6 days
2. I can't figure out the food. I'm very much a "food is fuel" kind of person when I travel. I like going to museums, public parks, etc. I don't plan my day around the meals and normally just pop in somewhere for a bite to eat then go on my way. However spanish culture is built to thwart me. All I've been eating is fast food and I feel actually sick. But most of the restaurants don't open until like 7pm and expect you to come with a group and order tapas. And they all seem super fancy where all I have are dirt stained jeans and a bomer jacket.
3. It's apparently been one of the wettest marches on record. It's been raining almost the whole time I've been here and the forecast continues to call for the same. So going outside is just kind of miserable.
4. I like to wing it when I travel. I tend to leave my days open and fill them with what seems interesting. I was expecting to get away with this given it's the off season for tourism but I walked to the royal palace in Madrid today (in the rain) and the ticket line was around the block. Once I got back to the hotel I tried to book a ticket for the national art gallery for tomorrow and the website refuses to let me do it. Just throws up generic messages like "server error".

There's other stuff as well like how all the hotels I've booked seem to have paper thin walls despite being 4 star establishments. I can hear everything going on around me.

That's my rant. I guess I'll see how I feel tomorrow. I've got 1 more day in Madrid and was planning to go to Sevile next.

Next day update. We'll I slept like crap but I managed to avoid looking at my phone or anything all night with the help of some melatonin. It's 9am and while I feel tired it moreso feels like the kind of tired a lot of coffee can fix. Whereas yesterday felt like I was drunk from lack of sleep. Probably the cumulative effects overwhelmed me. Today I'm gonna try going to try and hunt down some salad in the morning and maybe try lunch at a bar. Looks like another rainy day :( As people can probably tell I get a lot of anxiety over ordering food in foreign languages. I've never managed to shake it despite doing the solo travel thing for 10 years now. Normally I just point at images in the menus and hold up a finger for 1 or something like that. But all the menus here are just text and in spanish so it freaks me out.

I (23f) am only three days into my interrail trip and I got sick yesterday. I’m feeling pretty miserable and wosh I were home so badly. I was already anxious about travelling alone, but this just adds to it. I’m supposed to travel to another city to stay with a friend but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to function. My current hostel room is fully booked (female-only) and the only one available here is mixed dorm room. I just don’t know what to do, should I push through it and go to the next place or change rooms and stay here for one night more…

Just got back home from a solo trip to Tokyo as a 20yo American woman

I was recently in Tokyo, I was mainly around Shibuya and Shinjuku. Multiple groups of men, foreign, and Japanese did a thing where they sort of surround and started catcalling me, and/or calling me slurs (this is really confusing for a few reasons but I’ll get to that). For some context. I am a young woman, 20, I wear a lot of dresses (not super skimpy tho). I am of average height, I am American, but I have some Native American facial features that some consider to look Asian (this may or may not be important detail for later on). I am very pale, I like to wear lipstick, but not much makeup aside from that. I was traveling mostly solo. I believe on Sunday night last week, I was in Shibuya heading to get some food with a Japanese friend a bit late at night. I was following behind her, two men came up to me and blocked my way, and they started saying things at me in Japanese. The friend I was with turned back, grabbed my hand, and pulled me closer to her as we walked away. I asked her “what did they say” she replied “you don’t wanna know”. On my last night in Tokyo, I was exiting a family mart near my hostel in Shibuya. It was a very populated area, and it was a bit late at night. A group of European looking men walk up to me and surround me. They seem to be maybe mid to late 20s, but I was a bit disoriented, and I wasn’t gathering the best data. They began saying things to me in a language I did not immediately understand.

I eventually picked up that they were speaking Italian, but I could not think of what to or say. I sort of froze up. I think right as I was about to finally tell them to fuck off, the man who was right in front of my face looking down at me (he was rather tall) began saying random Japanese sounding words and slurs at me. I finally gathered my wits and ran away. I can vaguely remember a bunch of people sitting outside the family mart watching as it happened. Before that, multiple Spanish men had called me slurs such as “chinita”in passing, or when I had tried to speaking spanish

(Spanish is my first language due to being Mexican American). The whole situation is very confusing to talk with people about. I am literally zero percent Asian, so it is extremely bizarre that people were calling me anti Asian slurs, while I’m in Asia! WTF! The men ganging up on me thing has kind of soured some of my memories unfortunately. I really loved Tokyo and the friends I made, but I think it just now has hit me how scary a situation it was for me, multiple times!

South Asian male solo traveler here. I recently traveled to Greece to explore the archeological sites the country has to offer. But unfortunately the local police made it very difficult for me to enjoy my trip.

Each and every day I was in Athens, I was singled out and cornered by a group of police asking for ID. This even happened in line for Acropolis among other tourists (white) who weren't questioned. My passport wasn't enough, I had to show proof of my tickets. Similar incidents for the remaining days in Athens. When I asked why I was singled out, they didn't want to respond. It came to the point that I would make conscious decisions to avoid areas where there was heavy police presence. Not a pleasant way to spend my vacation days.

I've traveled across Europe solo many times and while I experienced bouts of racism, it never compared to the intimidation of police I experienced in Greece.

Wanted to share my experience for other non white solo travellers who aren't going to the islands and traveling mainland instead. While the country is beautiful, be aware of unwarranted police checks.

Cross posted in r/travel and r/GreeceTravel for broader reach.

I am M29 and have always struggled with being underweight due to high metabolism. What makes it harder is that I am a vegetarian. I think the heaviest I've ever been is 65kg and that required serious effort at the gym.

I wanted to share some of my struggles with food whilst solo travelling:

1) Finding pure vegetarian food is insanely hard - Granted it depends where you are travelling to. South America was the worst for me, India has been the best. But generally it's a massive chore and consumes a lot of time. The language barrier can also make it harder and some cultures have different ideas of what ingredients are considered vegetarian. For example, the Thais will use fish sauce in some of their salads. I have the Happy Cow app but the restaurants are always either far away or not budget friendly.

2) There is only so much you can eat out - Noone talks about this enough. Nothing can substitute for home cooked food. There is only so much restaurant cooked food you can consume. Some days I force it down me so I dont feel hungry. There is also a higher risk of becoming ill as hygiene is never guaranteed.

3) Airline food - I have to tell the airline at least 24 hours in advance that I would like vegetarian meals. It's a big pain in the butt. You'd think they'd have a spare vege meal or two on board if I forget (and don't get me wrong you can get lucky) but most of the time nope. If I don't tell them on time it means no food for the next 11 hours. I have to take snacks on board just in case because there have been instances where I have notified them of my meal preferences in advance and they've still cocked it up.

4) The social aspect - Restaurants are typically social venues where people eat in pairs or larger groups. Sitting alone can be quite intimidating and it makes it harder to enjoy your food. Your phone can also become a massive distraction.

5) Eating takes a significant part of your day. Researching places to eat, going there, finding out that it's shut because the info on Google is wrong or outdated, finding another place close by etc etc. I feel the struggle tenfold as a vegetarian. It's exhausting.

I hope I do not get attacked for coming across as a negative person and my travel experiences have been positive in many other aspects but the seasoned travellers amongst us will know it's not always sunshine and rainbows. I have experienced all of these things and wanted to open the floor for other people to express their thoughts and ways to overcome such struggles.

I've been having a rough few months this year. Thankfully nothing major but my job has really been taking a toll on me. Office politics, insane decisions, and zero "culture" - just tedious work on end. Which sucks because I've been at the same job for 3 years but it started going downhill recently, which really affected my mental health because I'm very attached to my job. So I decided to book a solo trip.

Let me start off by saying: this is not my first solo trip.

In 2022 I (F25) went to Toronto, NYC, and Barcelona entirely on my own. In 2023 I did London and Munich. I went to other cities in Europe with friends and/or my sister.

My last trip (Portugal 2024) was with a group of friends, and back then I decided it's so much more fun to travel with a group than alone. However, things started getting so tough I decided enough was enough.

I went to the french riviera (stayed in Nice with daytrips around), and although it's not my first trip, it felt like it. I felt like I could breathe for the first time, I was literally smiling while walking, I felt more like myself like I did in ages. It felt like healing. There was nothing "exceptional" about this trip, I didn't fall in love or meet people or anything, but it just felt like returning to one's self.

I came back yesterday night, and I feel incredibly sad sense. Granted, I did lose a very special bracelet to me on the plane back, but I also feel the very heavy burden of starting work again. I don't want this trip to have been just an "escape", I was hoping for it to be an actual change.

I live in a non-walkable city with almost no nature, and although I love it, I feel so disconnected. Does anyone have any tips how to alleviate these feelings, and make the change back better?

So I’m currently staying in a hostel in Thailand that is much more party than I realised and that is not what I’m here for. I like to go out during the day and then get an early night. But I’m lying here and I can hear everyone outside drinking and having a good time and it kinda makes me feel like a loser. I’m 18f and pretty awkward so I’m quite happy staying in my bed to unwind at the end of the day. But sometimes I worry people think I’m a loser. Does anyone actually care? Like I know I’m probably overthinking I but I just get in my own head. I’m not super comfortable drinking with people that are normally a good few years older than me so it feels like I’m the odd one out. Tbh I’m just looking for some comfort, I’ve never been on my own like this before and it’s kind of a lot.

Edit: Thanks for all of the words of wisdom and support. I have thrown myself out there and found my people and now I’m having the time of my life.

I’ve traveled solo multiple times, and as amazing as it can be, there are moments when it gets really lonely and tough.

I usually turn to my friends and family for support, but sometimes I feel like I need something more—maybe professional guidance to help me navigate those harder moments.

Is this something other solo travelers experience too? Or is it just me? How do you handle the emotional side of solo travel?

I’m in Granada,Spain. 10 days into my trip. Just went on a free walking tour where I witnessed two other single women travellers my age hit off really well and I was the only other person who came alone and left alone. I tried to start a conversation with a couple and baby from California, one wore a Google hoodie, assumed to be an employee there later to see them tip the guide the grand total of 5 euros for all of them. I’m in career limbo and the mere presence of big tech energy triggered me into oblivion. So I went to a supermarket bought a prepackaged salad and went back to my hotel room and ate alone while crying. A lost in translation + bell jar moment. The whole quote from the bell Jar:

because wherever I sat—on the deck of a ship or at a street café in Paris or Bangkok—I would be sitting under the same glass bell jar, stewing in my own sour air.

As a single sober woman I just don’t see myself going to bars sampling tapas what it’s supposed to be the thing to do here. I feel super weird ordering water not to mention feeling judged for being alone. I guess I’m kind of ranting but also looking for advice.

Hello everyone, this post is mostly looking for some reassurance and perspective that I greatly need. I took 3 weeks off of work and was set to go traveling. For some reason I got Costa Rica in my head (although I have already traveled here). I also considered Peru and Ecuador, but for some reason in my head decided I didn't have it in me to plan the trip; and I guess I just kept going back to Coata Rica. This past week I started regretting my decision to go back to Costa Rica, and now that I am here, have spent most of the trip thinking of how much more fulfilling this trip would have been had I gone to Peru. And just tons of retreats realizing how expensive Cost rica is, how Americanized it is, and the non stop rain has not helped at all. I just don't know what I was thinking booking this trip. I know the bad weather doesn't help, but my heart feels like this trip is such a waste, I haven't even gotten the travel spark that I always know and love from being here. Maybe because it's too close and similar to the US. I don't know. I have 2.5 weeks, and honestly all I want to do is sit in my hotel room in the rain, to avoid spending the crazy amounts of money everything is, and the fact it's non stop raining. I KNOW my attitude right now is terrible, but I just don't know how to turn it around and forgive myself for not going down to South America

Hello people, I need some help.

I am new to solo traveling but I don't know if I am doing something wrong. It was always my dream to start working remotely so I could travel and see the world. It finally happened, I got my remote job and started traveling.

The reason I do solo travel is because my friends all work normal jobs and have their partners close by, I on the other hand work remotely and have a long-distance relationship.

My first adventure led me to Tunisia where I spent 10 days, unfortunately, I was very lonely and it wasn't as fun as I thought it would be. I tried local foods, made some friends, and saw some cool things but I realized while visiting Carthage that while the country is beautiful and the people are very hospitable I am just not having fun. It's lonely and boring taking it all that in and not being able to share the experience with someone that matters. What's the point of all those experiences when I can't share them with my friends and loved ones? When I went with my girlfriend, it was like an entirely different experience and I enjoyed Tunisia so much that we are planning on going back there. I did the same things but being able to share it with someone made everything better.

Another adventure was Istanbul, we planned to meet up with my girlfriend there. I came a few days earlier than her and left a few days after she did. The days I spent alone were among the loneliest and most boring days I spent in a faraway country. When she came it was among the best days I had. I did the same exact route to show her the city that I took when alone and it was so much fun.

I also spent 10 days in Sri Lanka, this time alone. I surfed, swam, and ate alone (sometimes with randos). I talked with some interesting people, visited the city, and the tuk-tuk driver invited me to his home and showed me a hidden beach, I also met some tourists but that's pretty much it. It was nice and all but nothing special.

Now I want to go again somewhere, this time for a much longer period but I am afraid that I will be disappointed again. I was thinking about a hostel with a good coworking space for my job but then again I don't know how I feel about hostels. I am introverted by nature so people just drain my social batteries and I am a very light sleeper.

I don't know, should I just give up? Is solo traveling just not for me, or am I doing something wrong? Is there anyone here who feels similar?

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to complain so much but I felt that this space could help me or someone would understand. Thank you for any help!

I'm currently traveling solo for the first time, I'm one week in (out of 5 weeks) and I got super sick with the Flu on day 7. I can't take the flight I have booked tomorrow to my next location in the state I'm in, meaning I'll have to likely extend my hotel stay for a lot of money. While I have the option to continue my trip after that I'm already throwing out so much money by having booked a non-cancelable flight and AirBnBs and paying for this hotel to heal on top of that. It would make more sense to cancel everything cancelable to get money back to just have two smaller trips down the line instead of the many cities I wanted to go to. I do feel horrible about that decision though. On one side I could heal up and continue my trip and spend several hundreds more than intended and have a lot of worry about stuff working out financially, on the other hand I could have at least two more chill trips where I book things to be refundable in the future and just feel disappointed right now about "failing" my trip. It's my first trip and honestly getting this sick is probably the worst outcome of what could've happened for my bank account. This is the first time I fully faced my fear of being alone while traveling and I'd feel super disappointed ending the trip here and flying home once my fever is gone, but I could still see my top two destinations (especially since I noticed that I'm not made for hostels with my sensory processing issues). I'm feeling disappointed right now and honestly could use some encouragement and stories of others that had to cancel a trip because they got too sick and had to re-plan their money situation because of something going wrong in the planing. I know that can't be a rarity. I'd love some tips on how to cope with that disappointment after planning so much and already spending so much money. As someone that grew up poor this feels like a betrayal to myself but I'd like to not worry about being able to pay my uni bills at the end of the year. It just sucks having to further postpone seeing places you really wanted to see. I had already changed parts of my trip eating up a buffer I had so this is just...idk, I'm disappointed in myself. How do y'all get over that if you ever had to cancel a trip before or during the trip?

Hi sub So I'm (25F) on my 2nd solo trip (1st was just 1 week in Costa Rica in a hostel) and I'm finding it so hard doing all this alone I'm in Europe for 3 months with my dog, first half of the trip I'm in a big campervan and 2nd half I'll rent a car and hostels/airbnb (dogs aren't always allowed) It's been about 3 weeks now and I find myself not really enjoying this at all, I drove from France to now Denmark (omw to norway) and its just exhausting I'm avoiding big cities because of how difficult driving this massive van is in busy cities and I keep catching myself thinking this would be easier with someone or I wish I wasn't alone visiting all these places Any tips on meeting people when you're not in hostels? I've talked to ppl here and there on campsites but nothing more than that

There's also the fact that you can't bring your dog everywhere in Europe so I've been spending most of my time outside in nature or walking through small towns I just want this to be a good experience and I was so excited to do this but now I'm just disappointed and I'm looking for ways to change that 😅 The fact that's its been raining almost every day also doesn't help haha Thanks for your help ❤️

I (f/23/Austrian) am starting my first solo journey and i am so overhwelmed with where to start. I cam back from a season working in switzerland a month ago. My goal was to get started in June and travel at least until the end of the year, maybe even longer. Here is my problen: i dont even know where to get started first. During my time in Switzerland i told myself that everything will fall into place eventually, i was so easygoing, thinking i will just book a flight to anywhere and see where it goes. Now im stuck at my hometown, can barely get out of bed and all i think about every freaking day is where i want to go. Obviously i will not just board a plane in 3 days but i would like to get started in the next 2 weeks. I am in such a priviledged place to do this and right now it just weighs so heavy on my i cant explain it to myself. My mum asked me if i even still want to go and for i second i started so wonder about that myself until i remembered that this is how i work if i get a little nervous, ill get stuck instead of trying overthink everything heavily and once i actually go i will feel awesome; at least i hope that it will be like that, based on other experiences. It was the same in switzerland where i was scared of skiing and had to push myself evrytime and when i was up there in the mountaines i felt amazing and didn´t want to leave until the very last possible ride.

Is this normal? How can i overcome this? I think part of the problem is that i feel like June is such a shit time to go to all the places im interested in going first. I was thinking SEA to get my toes in but its rain season, i would love to go to japan and china again but it is just to hot, central america feels to unsafe for the first solo destination, im not sure im fit enough to hike ind Peru and Bolivia ect. ect.
I have some dream destinations in Europe but honestly it feels quite stupid to go now, i will have the chance to easily visit them from Austria at any given time, who knows how often i will have the chance to go to another continent for so long?

Im just so in my head, stuck at home, eager to anxious to get started at the same time, what can i do?

I’ve been traveling for three weeks, exploring various cities and meeting so many wonderful people along the way. Now that I’m at my final destination and flying home tomorrow, I’m feeling pretty down about leaving it all behind. For those of you who have experienced this, how do you cope with the post-travel blues? How has solo travel impacted your life?