Mindful Travels · The art of travelling alone
I
t’s time to start packing your suitcase, holiday
was part of a group and could socialise with others as
season is approaching and we’re all ready for
and when she wanted.
some well earned free time. But this summer,
why not challenge yourself and try one of the
“I loved the part of travelling alone this way.
newest trends; to go on vacation alone. As scary as
Attending the yoga sessions three times daily, and
travelling alone may sound, many find that their first
then choosing whether to spend the rest of my time
experience is simply unforgettable.
by myself or to explore the place. The ones who
Be your own best friend
attend the trip are all travelling by themselves and
come together because of their interests – yoga,
“My biggest concern was to feel lonely. I mean, three
mindfulness and to simply enjoy life.”
months across the world all by myself ? It really sounds
Introvert and proud
like the highway to depression,” says 23 year old,
Nina Hoslemo.
21 year old, Emilie Vårdal, considers herself as an
After planning a trip with her best friend,
to go on vacation by myself. I mean, to wake up and
disappointment hit Nina hard when her friend
decided not to go after all. “As you can understand,
I wasn’t planning on going alone, but I chose to go
alone rather than not going at all.”
Sometimes, being your own best friend is one of the
most liberating feelings you can experience.
“I grew a lot as a person”, adds Nina. “But my main
development was that I got to discover myself in a
way I’ve never done before. In retrospect, I see how
lovely that experience was and I wish more people got
to experience that.”
Single with a safety net
outsider amongst her peers. “I have always wanted
have no one else to think about but yourself, what
a luxury!”
But Emilie admits that there is a downside to
travelling solo.“When you get home there is no
one to reminisce with about the things you saw
or the people you met, or someone to laugh
with,” she adds.
“On the other hand, I don’t think that
it should always be about other people
and having to share all of our memories.
Sometimes it can be nice to have
something that is only yours.”
Even if it wasn’t an active choice for Nina to go alone,
some people find it the most natural thing.
25 year old Swedish blogger, Michaela Forni, recently
travelled to Santa Teresa in Costa Rica to attend a
yoga retreat. Although she travelled alone, Michaela
Mindspace Magazine · Issue 01 · 13