Sofia Almeida
Solo travel can produce a large amount of photos of places but few of the solo traveler themselves in the place. Years after the trip the photos of the solo traveler in places can bring back many memories. A few good photos of the solo traveler in places is all that is needed to bring back memories.
The three approaches
Self-timer with a small tripod or phone stand. Asking another tourist to take the photo. Ask a local (the owner of a café, shop, etc. that you have a small amount of interaction with).
The self-timer technique
Try testing the shot before you leave the scene. A $30 tripod for travel that fits in your daypack and is very sturdy is the solution to this problem. Open up your camera or i phone app, set up your shot, set the timer for 10 seconds and walk into the frame. You should shoot 4 to 6 frames and one of them should be great.
Asking strangers
You can ask another tourist to take your picture, especially if they are already setting up their camera. Tourists traveling with families are usually fine to ask as they tend to be focused on getting good shots of their own.
The small etiquette
Show the person the framing you want first. When they say yes, ask for 3 or 4 shots. You usually will need more than one shot anyway. Offer to take their photo in return. Thank them specifically.
The summary
Get over your embarrassment. Years from now it will be pictures of you in all of those places, not just pictures of the places. Get used to taking your own pictures every time you travel. It becomes a habit on every trip. It helped me.
The Logistics of Going Alone
Solo travel, on the other hand, requires more planning as there is only one person to make the decisions. So, for example, booking ahead the first night of your trip, letting someone at home know your itinerary and general information about your destination, can help make arrival much smoother.
I have done both and in retrospect, arriving alone with a bit of planned ahead (ie booked accommodation for the first night, knowledge of the first destination, etc) seems to save about 40 minutes on end of first day, which in retrospect felt like hours to me in my tired solo state.
The Social Question
Solo travel does not have to mean traveling alone. Many of the best parts of solo travel are meeting other travelers and the locals of your destination. This can be found in the hostels that you stay in with common areas where you can meet other travelers. This can also be found in group activities, in walking tours and lastly in cooking classes.
The Safety Layer
Most safety issues can be averted by doing a little preparation beforehand. Most people share their itinerary with a friend or family member, research local emergency numbers and the local embassy before departing, make digital and hard copies of important documents (e.g. passport, ID, health insurance) and rely on their instincts to get out of a potentially precarious situation.
The Takeaway
There is nothing quite as personally significant as the solo trip – with a lot of work put into preparation for the journey and lots of emotional work along the way. However, the skills one learns during a solo trip are transferable to group travel and with each solo trip one becomes more confident and able to handle the many situations that arise during a long trip.
The Decision Fatigue Reality
Decisions take a huge amount of energy and many solo travelers are under the impression that they have to make all of the decisions on the trip. However, there are many things that can be pre-committed to (such as when and where to eat, where to book ahead for the night, when to stop for the day) that can remove a huge amount of energy and allow for a more relaxed trip. Structures can feel very constraining at first but become protective of the traveler by the end of the long trip.
The Emotional Rhythm
For the length of the trip, solo travelers go through emotional stages, in big contrast to group travelers. While the beginning is filled with anxiety, the middle gets more competent by the day and the end returns to homesickness and restlessness. Knowing these stages allows one to go through them better.
I’ve completely flipped on this issue numerous times. The current stance is the best I’ve gotten so far.
Returning Well
Many travelers return from their solo trip with the perception that the trip had been so intense that they wouldn’t be able to easily return to their normal travel-free life. For some reason, they do not anticipate this re-entry difficulty. Building in a few quiet days at the end of a trip for return to work is as important as building in rest days during the trip itself. Time spent with other solo travelers who have been on similar trips can also help process the experience.
The Communication Loop
Travelers who are solo traveling will find that maintaining regular communication with those back home is key to having fewer ‘dark’ moments on their trip. The communication does not have to be long or detailed but a brief check-in every two to three days can suffice to both aid in safety and to counter feelings of isolation. And it is in these long isolated stretches of time that normal travel problems can very quickly become amplified into far harder to deal with emotions than the actual problem itself would have you believe.
The Returning Solo Question
While some travelers are happy to have completed a solo trip, others discover that it has ‘grown’ on them and that they would like to complete another. The skills gained by traveling solo, such as learning to pack, making decisions when tired, dealing with unfamiliar systems and traveling alone for meals, are all transferable to subsequent trips. And, as with many things in life, the first is often the hardest and the subsequent ones are generally more enjoyable and less anxiety-ridden.
A Note on This Topic
My strategy of trying to become a better traveler by learning from my experiences on the road has led me to pinpoint a few key characteristics that the better travelers possess. For starters, these travelers are always prepared and can conduct research on a place before arriving that goes well beyond the first few search results. They know how to ask for information and ask genuine questions of the local people they meet on the road. Lastly, these travelers who wish to get the most from their time on the road should take notes during the trip. These can then be referred to after the fact to recall specific details about the places and events one experienced during the time traveled. All of these traits seem simple enough, yet they can make a world of difference in turning around a few so-so trips into a few really excellent ones.
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