As a solo traveller on a majority of my trips, I ask myself this question every time I go anywhere. I may not have a consistent travel partner every time, but there is one consistent event that always happens every time I travel. That is meeting people, whether it be locals or other travellers from other parts of the world. Even if you didn’t fly or drive to your destination with them, they are still a part of your journey and you still get to experience the country and/or city with them. That is actually one of the best things about travelling. You get to meet some of the coolest people from other parts of the world, and on top of that you get grow out of your comfort zone and make new friends.

My favorite experience by meeting others was when I was in Guadalajara, Mexico and I got to enjoy Lucha Libre (Mexican Wresting) with one of the locals. He had us over at his house and we watched a video about a Mexican Superhero that was a Luchador, and he also talked to us about the history of Lucha Libre. After the fight, we went to a Luchador bar and had drinks. I also bumped into the friends I made on the tequila tour and they joined us. I also got to meet his family, other travellers from Colombia, Germany, and by coincidence a couple from my hometown of Chicago. It was so amazing getting to know them and where their roots came from. It was also nice watching a fight with them and acting silly and crazy with them. So, they weren’t my set travelling partners, but in those few hours, they were a huge part of my travels and it would not have been the same without them.

Now you are probably thinking “Ok, that could happen, but what if I don’t meet anybody”. I’ll give you the straightest answer possible. It’s “That’s ok”. Solitude is nothing to be ashamed of. We all need to be in our own personal bubble from time to time when we travel. Travelling is not just simply sightseeing and trying out the local cuisine, it’s a chance to re-center and relax as well and if you want to be alone and have your space, go for it. Just to make sure you aren’t completely alone, what helps me relax and recenter is having a plushie be my travel buddy! Reasons being, they aren’t annoying, don’t take up that much room and if you need a center for focus and comfort, a plushie helps! 🙂 Yes, I admit it, I have plushies lol! Trust me, they have helped me through some hard times in my travels and remind me it’s going to be ok.

The bottom line is, you are never truly alone when you travel unless they stop making plushies, and you are literally the last human being on Earth. Sometimes, you don’t even have to try to make friends in other countries, they will just fall in your lap and you just go with it. Remember that those same people are in the same boat as you. They are from a foreign country where they don’t know anyone, and are probably just as nervous as you. They also need a companion for the time being.

Thank you for reading and for your support and this is Jet Lagged Jaff taking off until next time! Goodbye for now! If you need any travel tips or support, please send me a message on Facebook through the Jet Lagged Jaff page or at jaff@ptkycreative.com. Also, please check out my travel blog at https://ptkycreative.com/category/blogs/jet-lagged-jaff/. Please comment and subscribe to my posts. Also like my Facebook page for updates. I regularly post once every one to two weeks on different travel tips and destinations that I recommend.