Since starting my new job (I am becoming a Train Driver, not even kidding) I have been doing nothing but studying and the occasional bout of eating so when our first holiday period rolled around to say I was excited for the break was an understatement. We live in this magically beautiful country and now I have a car I am set to explore, and explore I did. If you are an avid reader of my blog you would know that I have a tendency towards the loner side of life, and this has its positives and especially positives when it comes to traveling alone, so here they are, the goodness that is solo road tripping
There is never any fighting over music - I have amazing (Questionable) taste in music, my Ipod kinda looks like Spotify had a hard night on the booze and vomited everywhere and you know what, that's pretty rad. I always say that I don't pick the music, the Ipod does so you never really know what you are going to get. You can guarantee though, when it throws up some Hanson or Kenny Rogers, I am going to bring the house down with my singing.
No one has to see you being unfit - I headed down to the Great Ocean Road and there was a lot of walking. Like I am relatively fit, not running marathons fit, but walking around the block without puffing fit, but I was tested. I walked in to Hopetoun Falls, easy walk in, down about a km but then getting back up, holy fuck. I honestly thought I was going to die, I was huffing and puffing and despite the 8 degree weather I stripped off all my layers to cool down and then when I finally got to the top I had to have a rest in my car before I could drive. That would have been embarrassing if anyone had have seen me, lucky I was all by myself and the only people that had to bare witness to my imminent heart attack were the park workers that I would never see again. Easy
You don't have to share the Couples Wine or Chocolate - I booked my Accommodation using Scoop On and it turned out to be cheaper for me to book a couples retreat than it would have been to book a Singles Holiday. As part of my package I got a King Size Bed, some local chocolates and a bottle of wine. And, because I was there by myself I didn't have to share with anyone. It was a pretty magical experience for me (read magical as Drunk intersected with Hilarious conversations with my Kiwi mate from Perth)
Fluffy Towels and Pillow Forts - Along the same thread as the above point, in fancy accommodation you get robes and fluffy towels and enough pillows to build a fort. I had a new towel every day, it didn't matter that I dropped wine and cheese all over my robe because I had a ready replacement and I really didn't need someone there to cuddle me because I had enough pillows to build myself a cocoon. It was soft,warm and fluffy. Amazing. (Though if I am really honest, the pillows weren't to my liking and my old lady back was protesting a bit)
You Don't Need to Speed Read - I am a bit of a history nerd and I live for all those trivial facts about wall paper or building blocks or what ever may be the subject of the day. I read all the plaques and then see what they reference so as you can imagine going to a museum or tourist attraction with me can be a bit of a time consuming experience. I always feel like I should read quickly and get going so that my companion doesn't get bored... but when I travel alone, its all me baby. I can read and ponder and read again and no one can tell me different. That shit is great. I feel smarter because of it.
I'm the Boss - I can do what I want, when I want and no one is there to tell me not to. If I want to spend the whole day sleeping, I can, if I want to stop at 15 inlets in a row, I can, if I don't feel like eating a proper breakfast and want to eat chocolate instead, I can. See how magical that can be.
Selfie Sticks are Great - I have done a bit of traveling by myself and always struggled with taking those cheesie holiday snaps because my arms just weren't long enough, but since the invention of the selfie sick, all my problems have disappeared. I will admit that I don't actually own one because owning one comes with some amount of shame but I borrowed one and it was legit brilliant. Hey this is me at the Apostles, This is me getting blown off a light house and this is me standing in a cave. BRILLIANT
From the list above, I have pretty much sold you on Solo Travel haven't I? But in the essence of giving you a fair picture, it does have its draw backs as well, so lets just gloss over those quickly
Sometimes you feel a bit lonely because you are doing something amazing and have no one to remark to, I just talk to myself, That works as well.
Its hard to take trashy tourist photos, this is why I love traveling with my sister best because she will happily do stupid shit like getting in the mouth of a dinosaur of laying down in the middle of the street just to get that perfect photo. I don't really know how I would ask someone to take a photo of me riding on top of a giant clay elephant. It could be weird .
People will look at you funny when you say you are alone - Before I left I was telling my friends where I was going and one of them repeated to his girlfriend "she is going alone" when I told him that I was. I guess most people don't understand the beauty of solo travel.
No one to share the driving - In three days I did 1200km and I was pretty wrecked at the end of it. It would have been nice to be able to share that with someone so that I could have taken a moment to stare out the window at the amazing passing scenery. Its kinda hard to look at breath taking ocean cliffs when you are worried that you are going to drive off the edge of them. You know how it is.
People will Judge you for having a selfie stick - I don't think this one actually applies if you are an Asian, and despite my clearly slanty tiny eyes, I am most certainly not Asian so people probably judge me harshly when I am smiling at my stick. Pfft to them I say, you gotta do what you gotta do. Simple.
That's a pretty top heavy list I think, so if you haven't thought about it before, I would really recommend taking some time out to go on an adventure by yourself, you could be amazed what you find, the people you could meet and the sights that you could see
Love and Adventures
Miss K