By Lauren Juliff
Student Travel Expert, about.com
Loneliness while traveling is something that creeps up on you when you least expect it. Maybe you're browsing Facebook and see a photo from friends on a night out, or maybe you check into a hotel and can't find anyone to talk to. No matter the reason why you're feeling lonely, there are some quick and easy steps you can take to feel better within 24 hours:
Change Where You're Staying
Quite often, simply changing your surroundings and checking into a different hostel, hotel or guesthouse can be all you need to do in order to make friends.
[post_ads_2]
If
you're staying in a hotel and are feeling lonely from the isolation,
move to a guesthouse or hostel with a common room -- and you don't have
to stay in a dorm, either. You can stay in a private room to make sure
you get a great night's sleep, and choose to meet new people in the
common room. You'll find that just being able to be around other
travelers, will often help your loneliness and improve your mood -- it
shouldn't be hard to find somebody to go exploring or out to dinner
with, either!
If you're not having much success with
that, then book a couple of nights in a dorm room. Being forced into a
situation where you'll be seeing several other people for much of
every day makes it incredibly easy to make friends. If you're feeling
like nothing will cure your loneliness, staying in a dorm room is the
way to go. Just remember to pack some ear plugs!
[post_ads]Book Yourself on a Tour
Even
though I often choose independent travel over going on a tour, I can't
deny the benefits of spending time with a group of people who are just
as excited as you are about exploring a new destination. Tours are
fantastic places to make friends -- especially if you're a solo
traveler.
If you don't have the budget to splash out for an expensive tour, most cities around the world offer free walking tours in the form of a donation-based service. You choose how much you want to pay based on the quality of the tour.
After
a tour, it's quite common for members of the group to decide to go to a
nearby cafe or restaurant or bar to get to know each other even better.
Often just being able to buddy up with another solo traveler is all you
need to help your loneliness melt away.
Go to a Cafe or Bar
Cafes,
restaurants and bars can be fantastic places for meeting new people and
pulling yourself out of your slump. Aim for somewhere that has a bar
you can sit at to make it easier to have conversations. Breakfast and
lunch are the best times to eat alone, too -- it's much more accepted
during these meals and you'll find plenty of others also eating alone.
If you're not comfortable with approaching strangers, take a good book
to get lost in or simply people watch to pass the time.
Disconnect From Technology
There's
no denying that technology has helped to enhance the travel experience,
but there are some definite negatives to staying connected at all
times. When you're feeling lonely on the road, one of the worst things
you can do is mope around online. You're preventing yourself from
forming connections and friendships with your fellow travelers
because you appear closed off to what's going on around you. Spending
time seeing what your friends and family are doing on various different
social media channels is a surefire way to make you feel even more alone
than before. Instead, get offline and start a conversation with someone
in your hostel.
Surround Yourself With Familiarity
Before
I head out on a big trip, I'll make sure to pack some of my favourite
items from home. I'll bring a small stuffed toy to remind me of family,
or load up my laptop with lots of my favourite movies and TV shows. If
I'm feeling lonely but not in the mood to socialise with others, I'll
stay in for the day and seek some familiarity to my life back home. I
usually only need a day or two before I'm feeling better.
[post_ads_2]
Loneliness
while traveling can really put a dampener on your trip. Rather than
giving into the negative feelings and looking at plane tickets back
home, close the lid of your laptop
and turn off your phone. Seek meaningful connections with the people
around you. Go and sit in the common room of your hostel and ask some
people where they're from and where they're going. If you don't like the
hostel you're in, check out some reviews of nearby hostels and head to
one that is set up for making friends. Head to a cafe or bar and start a
conversation. Join a tour and start talking to someone who's there
alone. Follow the simple steps outlined above and you'll find your
loneliness vanishing in no time at all!
