An Interview with a Solo Traveler

There are many questions you may have before jetting off on your first solo trip. Will I make friends? What if I get lost? Will it be lonely? Will it even be fun? Doing something out of your comfort zone is bound to have you feeling apprehensive, which is why I spoke to Marisa Kay Martin about her experiences as a solo traveler.

Marisa is a 25 year old law student who’s been passionate about travel her entire life.

Her ventures have spanned across the entire world, 56 countries to be exact. She’s also studied abroad twice in Germany, once in London, and has been to all 50 states. When Marisa’s studies aren’t taking up all of her time, she works on her travel blog, TheTravelingStoryGirl.

Did you have any doubts about your trip before leaving?

I was hesitant to travel by myself for the first time. I was afraid that every single thing would go wrong and that I would be all on my own. So, I ended up taking a day trip all by myself without telling a single person. Probably not the smartest for me to go without telling anyone, but it made the trip all the more thrilling.

Where did you choose for your first solo trip and why?

My very first trip was just a day trip to the country of Liechtenstein from where I was living in Germany. I decided to go because it could be done in a day and it was a new country that I hadn't yet visited - that was my main motivation for visiting. My entire journey was by train and of course, on my return, all of the trains returning to Germany were cancelled. At that moment, sitting in the Basel-Bad train station, unable to understand the language of the announcements, I began to regret my decision to travel about not telling anyone. I was alone in a foreign country with no idea where I was going to be forced to sleep that night. In hindsight, everything worked out and I never felt unsafe, but the unknown gave me a quick introduction into solo travel. My first solo overnight trip was to Amsterdam to visit the tulip fields in the spring. This time I actually told people where I was going, so that made the trip a lot more relaxing. It was during this trip that I realized how much I could enjoy solo travel. It was a nice contrast to my previous solo trip where I almost ended up stranded.

Solo travel may not be for everyone, but should everyone at least try it once in their lives?

I grew up being very sheltered with protective parents who were afraid to let me go anywhere on my own. Although I was afraid to travel on my own at first, I still gave it a go and now really love it. I firmly believe that everyone should try solo travel at least once in their lives. It goes back to the old saying, "you can't knock it till you try it". A solo trip doesn't have to be a month-long backpacking trip through European hostels... it can be a day trip to a national park or a weekend trip to the big city. It's okay if people don't like solo travel but I think you can learn a lot about yourself if you at least give it a try.

What advice do you have for anyone looking into taking their first solo trip?

If someone wants to take their first solo trip but is nervous to do so - just start small! Take a day or overnight trip somewhere that is relatively local so you are still somewhat in your comfort zone. You could also travel somewhere that is farther away, but where you still speak the same language. As a woman, safety is always a huge concern. Travel light and be cognizant that you don't tell your plans to strangers. You'll undoubtedly meet people along the way but, as always, be smart and vigilant! If you are nervous about planning things, for your first trip, maybe plan activities out so you can feel like there's a sense of stability.

I know solo travel advocates could go on and on about the many benefits, but if you could only choose one, what do you think the best thing about solo travel is?

It's hard to choose just one, but I think the most important benefit is learning how you react in situations where you have no one to rely on but yourself. You may think of yourself as being a "fight" person, but in the moment you may realize that you are more of a "flight" person. Additionally, when you are traveling by yourself, you can follow your own interests since you make your own itinerary. You may realize that you actually enjoy going into art museums and admiring the art, whereas beforehand you may have thought of it as boring. Since there are no parameters to how you have to travel, you can do everything the way that you want!

How do you cope with feeling alone?

One of the ways that I cope with feeling lonely is to stay at hostels or places where I can meet up with other people. I vary my travel style between hostels and AirBnbs and I try to make a few friends when I stay in a hostel. Another way to make new connections is by taking group tours. I traveled to Norway on my own but took an organized day tour out to the fjords where I made a few friends. Just because you are a "solo traveler", it doesn't mean that you can't go on a walking tour or that you can't make new friends!

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned through solo travel?

After 5 years of solo travel, I have realized how independent solo travel has made me become. I was living in London for uni and on the weekends, I would just go off to different countries or different parts of the U all by myself! I learned to not wait for other people to come with me... because chances are they aren't coming! Some of my friends were always so impressed that I had no qualms with traveling to foreign countries by myself, but I knew that if I waited for someone to travel different places with me, I would never actually go. Another thing I've learned is that it's okay to admit that you're tired and lonely and just want to go lay in your bed after an exhausting day. When I traveled to Norway, it was winter and there was only a little bit of sunlight, lots of attractions were closed, and it was excruciatingly cold. I usually ended up eating dinner in the hostel at 5 pm and then sat on my bunk-bed and did some homework and watched movies with their bomb Netflix queue. I recognized my body's limit and just accepted that it was okay to spend 2 nights binging movies and eating carbs. Solo travel does not have to be perfect 100% of the time - that's actually what makes it so great.

What are your first travel plans post COVID?

I'm still debating it since I've already had trips to Japan, Israel, and Peru all cancelled due to COVID. I may try again for one of those places but if not, I’m heading straight back to Europe and visit all of my old haunts!