Solo Travelling to 6 Countries Taught Me These 6 Things
Experiences that shaped my 21-year-old self.
This time, six years ago, I was a 21-year-old on a solo trip across 6 countries for 19 days. I can be honest now having come to terms with my truth after many years of ignoring it — I travelled solo not for adventure but because I didn’t have anyone else to travel with. I was studying for my Master’s degree in England and didn’t fit into any of the groups. Instead of fitting in for the heck of making friends, I stuck out like a sore thumb.
Today, I feel that maybe the universe wanted me to go through those experiences, which is why I was a sore thumb. This travel taught me so much about life, but more so, it planted seeds in my mind that years later shaped my life. And that’s a journey I want to take you on with me today.
I’d done a short solo trip before this one, which was 4 days in Amsterdam. That made me slightly brave to take on this one.
Stop 1: Berlin, Germany
It was a dormitory of 8 people, mixed gender. I come from India where a setting like this is incomprehensible for people. I went down to what looked like a library and it was a coincidence because there were people from all four countries of the U.K. (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) and Ireland. And I met an Indian dude who I figured was wealthy because travelling and underwater photography is all that he did, trips funded by his family.
The library then turned into a bar though I didn’t drink back then. The smell of beer disgusted me so much that weeks later, when I checked into my hostel in Vienna, the reception gave me a coupon where I could get either two free beers or one glass of wine. I reluctantly had a glass of wine because it felt more bearable and slept like a baby. And, of course, I couldn’t decline the offer because we Indians don’t say no to free stuff!
Okay, coming back to Berlin now…
Berlin taught me that notions people have about people from a certain place are just prejudices that exist in our heads. It’s not true. I was told repeatedly how rude Germans are, yet they were kind to me then and my German students are so kind to me even now. One couple even walked me towards my destination instead of simply giving me directions.
In all honesty, I was greeted in Berlin rather dirty. As I exited the metro station closest to my hostel, two women looked at me, said something, and spat. This freaked me out and sent jitters down my spine about how the coming days will be. Luckily, everything turned out to be okay and I visited Berlin again a few years ago. I definitely want to see more of Germany in the future.
Stop 2: Prague, Czech Republic
What a beautiful, beautiful city. My family friend joined me here as she was studying in the Netherlands. Our fathers were classmates and met in third grade and us being the only kids sans siblings, both our families travelled together to the mountains for all our holidays. This trip felt like we were taking a step forward by travelling together internationally — something I couldn’t dream of even in my wildest dreams.
We checked into a rather simple hostel. Thank god it was clean. The hotel had a homely vibe and cooked dinner every night only for 5 euros, which I didn’t indulge in even once because I don’t eat pork or beef.
There was news about the cold wave going on. The temperature at this time was showing as warm when I planned this trip a month ago. Suddenly, it was minus 13°C! By the time we got ready and left the hotel, it was minus 7°C. To date, it’s the coldest temperature I have ever experienced. We walked, explored, and took frequent coffee and cake breaks in cute cafes.
This experience taught me that even after all the planning and following rules of travelling light and with essentials, unexpected stuff happens and makes you super uncomfortable. I bought myself a muffler and matching fuzzy light turquoise socks that day to be warm.
Stop 3: Budapest, Hungary
I didn’t know what a party hostel meant but booked one because it was pretty cheap. Oh lord, the breakfast was just bread and butter and there would be lines to use the washroom. But you know what? The people were so much fun. They were so warm and friendly from across the world, all in this one place. The hostel employees were mostly Americans who came to Budapest for a holiday and didn't want to go back.
The hostel was in a residential building, so we weren’t allowed to make noise but they took us out every evening for parties. On my first night here I just slept and slept for maybe over twelve hours because the exhaustion got to me.
I can keep talking about my fun experiences here, but one thing that shocked me was when I got lost in the evening. My phone battery died because of all those tripod photos I took alone and the Bluetooth using up the battery. And slowly, the coffee shops started shutting down too, as usual at 5/6 pm. My navigation skills are rather questionable as I don’t even know my way home without Google Maps today, but that evening, I eventually made it.
I walked around a lot as the sun was going down and really desperately wanted to get home before it was dark. I eventually did, which made me realise you eventually find your way home. It was also during this trip that got me thinking that I don’t want to live a normal life, I want to keep travelling and do what supports this. It looked stupid to think of this when people around you were doing normal jobs. But 3 years later, I quit my job at 25 to do what I love for a living.
I guess the seed was planted then and kept growing in my subconscious. Here’s a diary entry from back the day I got lost:
Stop 4: Vienna, Austria (Followed by Salzburg)
Vienna wasn’t for me. It shut too early, was so manicured and flawless and didn’t have many people. There was a grandeur of castles and all of that, but it wasn’t my vibe at all. The good part – my hostel was one of the best I’ve ever seen. I remember devouring 3 tablespoons of Nutella because I’d spend days surviving on a shoestring budget. It was spacious and sparkling clean.
Salzburg was a quaint town in the mountains. And even though I’m not a mountain girl because I get car sick and was in a boarding school in the mountains for 5 years, I fell in love with Salzburg. So much so that I took my mom here in 2022 and she loved it as much.
I learned that you don't have to be so attached to the labels you associate yourself with. Awareness is one thing, but being rigid about labels will put your experiences in boxes instead of flowing out of the box. I’m not into mountains and am a big city girl, yet I fell in love with this town.
Stop 5: Day trip to Bratislava, Slovakia
It was only an hour away from Budapest, so I thought, why not explore a new city? During my first solo trip till today, there’s one activity I do in all European cities — a walking tour. It gives you information about the city, the history that lays beneath your feet and local food recommendations that aren’t full of tourist lines.
I left the walking tour in the middle of it. I don’t know, something didn’t feel okay. I found it uninteresting and wasn’t having fun. As someone who is so hard on herself even today, this experience taught me that it’s okay to leave things mid-way if it isn’t making you happy.
Stop 6: Ljubljana, Slovenia
I only went here because it had the cheapest flight back to London. I’ll be honest — I didn’t even know how to pronounce Ljubljana until I took a walking tour (it’s pronounced as lub-laanaa).
I’m not sure why more people don’t go here because the food and architecture are so vivid. The local cremeschnitte pastry melts in your mouth and the buildings are so bright. The town is small and you can walk everywhere in a day.
In this small hostel, there was just one employee. A young lady who worked as a receptionist and even cooked breakfast. She made yummy pancakes for us during breakfast. They say the cook's energy travels to the food, so maybe it was that. This taught me how little it takes to make an experience memorable for the other person. Here, it was the homemade pancakes, the warmth of the host and how fun this little city was.
I am typing this article on a Monday after spending my weekend with flu and fever. I feel weak, and hungry, but also so happy because the start of my day is doing something so much fun – telling you about my most precious experience. I journey I wish I could go back to relive.
I hope this took you on a little journey too. Happy travels!