ladies travelling alone!!

gdmaestro

Hey guys,

have many of ye headed off travelling on your own? willing to share experiences- good and bad???

I'm heading to canada to travel around and then work...on my own...

excited but very nervous!

Sibylla

My advice for you is, be cautious. thousands of people travel alone once you are careful you will be fine. My friend is currently in Dubai on her own and loves it. She has made a new life for herself. On the other hand I wouldn't like to move away alone but that's just personal preference. It sounds very exciting for you. Best of luck with it.

ztoical

Canada on your own is grand. I've gone round both Canada and the states by train a few years back and had a great time. Just don't do anything you wouldn't do at home....bit of common sense goes a long way. Ive gone around Japan and Korea by myself and while ordering food was a bit hit and miss I found the locals so warm and helpful especially when I got horribly lost.

Highly rec the train going cross country, took 3 days to get from Chicago to Seattle and sights were breath taking along the way. Amtrack stopped doing the really good value north American rail pass but VIA the canadian train crowd might still offer some good deals.

Eve_Dublin

Hi OP. Travelled around South America on my own for a year and moved to Spain almost two years ago on my own and no regrets. The year travelling was the best year of my life and because I was alone, I was my own boss and could meet whoever I wanted, do whatever I wanted and go whenever and wherever I wanted. No compromise. The freedom was incredible. The move to Spain was initially difficult but now I'm happy and settled. I wouldn't say I'm particularly confident and extroverted but I forced myself to be. Whatever fear I felt, I sucked it up and ignored. Here's my tips:

Feel the fear and do it anyway. You're going to be frightened but you just have to stick your neck out and get on with it. Book your flight, pack your bag and get on that plane. Don't think about it. ONce you do, you'll be so proud of what you've done on your own. It's totally worth it.

Try and ignore the little voice in your head bringing you down....you're just as capable and likeable as anyone else. You're no better or wose than anyone else so keep reminding yourself of that.

To find friends: stay in hostels and hang out in the bar. If you're settling down, put a notice up on the internet looking for friends. I'm sure they've got ex pat websites in Canada too. Be open to everyone initially and take up every offer to socialise and eventually you'll find people you click with and meet friends through them.


Be friendly. If you feel nervous, blag it. I spent a year travelling alone and had to be sociable for pretty much the whole year. Remember most people are nice and don't be too quick to judge someone on first impressions.

Be prepared to be alone for the first few weeks and don't be too hard on yourself if things don't happen for you as quickly as planned. It takes a long time to get settled somewhere but it WILL happen. Canadians are friendly and open and you're going to find a heap of foreigners there too. Learn to like your own company and remember to stick your neck out and take up every opportunity.

Remember that you're doing something very brave that many others wouldn't do. Nobody is judging you and generally those who are are too scared to do it on their own and are probably envious of your bravery.

You're in a better position to go somewhere alone as a female. I found it easier to meet people as a female than many males I met travelling alone. People are more receptive to a (friendly) women, sometimes for the wrong reasons but as long as you make yourself clear, there's no problems. It gets your foot in the door to be a female.

Be careful. Don't wander off on your own drunk somewhere and don't be too trusting of people initially. I took some stupid risks using my gut instinct and luckily I was right everytime...but I mightened have been.

Just do it. As I said, I'm not your typical confident extrovert but I can be and I faked it 'till it happened. People are only people and are too busy worrying about themselves and they're just as keen for you to like them as visa versa.

If you need any more advice, let me know

gdmaestro

thanks guys,

well my flight is booked for next wednesday so there's no going back now anyway! just have to pack the bag!

never thought i would ever jet off on my own, but when it came to it my friends couldnt go...and i still wanted to!

its nice to hear other peoples experiences:)

Vero

Hi OP!
Moving abroad isn't as hard as you would imagine
I was 20 when I moved to Ireland and I never had any problems to find friends there. Just be confident (even if you have to fake it, like me for example ) and talk to people. I learned that most of them have the same problem. Travelling alone is also not a big problem, I was in India alone for 3 months last summer, and belive me, as scary as it sounds in the beginning, you meet fellow travellers everywhere .
Maybe register at couchsurfing, there are also meet-ups in basically every country in the world, so it should be easy to find one in Canada.
All the best!!

valerie

Good luck OP! It's a brilliant experience travelling alone and as long as you're sensible and take reasonable precautions, safe. I went to New Zealand on my own for 6 months working and loved it and I've taken lots of holidays on my own. You get to do whatever you want with your time but it's really easy to meet people and make new friends when you're feeling fed up of your own company.
It's also good for your confidence and independence to know you can move somewhere and get set up without help from family and friends.
Have a brilliant time in Canada - I spent a few months working in Banff - highly recommend it!

liah

Was going to make a post but Eve_Dublin already wrote down everything I would've said - take that advice! It's spot on.

gdmaestro

ya she gave great advice!

I'm starting to look forward to it now!:D

I'll look into Banff! I just said i'd fly into toronto, travel around a bit and if i really like somewhere i'll look for jobs there. I'm a nurse so im lucky enough that the job scene wont be much of an issue!

Da Shins Kelly

I was in Spain working on my own for a while. Eve pretty much summed it up. It's an incredibly liberating experience, and totally worth the initial apprehension. Have no fear! Just be careful, use a bit of common sense and trust yourself. You will make the right decisions in the end. Most people are really, really nice and willing to help you out, so don't be shy. Like, Eve was saying, even if you are normally introverted you'll find yourself being forced to be an extrovert. It'll work out really well. Be prepared for maybe some uncomfortable situations with men who find out that you're traveling alone (this is what I experienced anyway), but if you make it clear that their attention is unwanted, they'll quickly back off. But, obviously (like when you're at home) don't do anything too stupid (initially!) when you don't really know the country. You will probably find yourself falling in with fellow travelers, and these people are usually as keen as you are to meet new people and make friends, and you'll find yourself hitting it off with different people of all nationalities. I became friendly with Spanish, French, Canadian, American, English, Argentinian and Israeli people when I was in Spain. It was wonderful! Traveling alone is such an eye-opener and one of the greatest experiences you'll ever have in your life. You'll meet people you would never have met otherwise and have the unforgettable experience of traveling around a foreign country and being your own boss. When I did it, I was able to just get up in the morning and go and do whatever I wanted, without having to check with anyone. I had so many spontaneous encounters and experiences that I wouldn't have had if I'd been with my friends. I love my friends, but I'm glad I wasn't with them this time, the trip just wouldn't have been as enriching and liberating as it was if they'd been there.

Do it and don't be afraid!! You are a nice person, the people you meet are going to like you and you will make friends!! You're going to have a great time, and experience something that is completely life-changing! Good luck, you won't regret this!

LadyMayBelle

I travelled in Western Oz on my own..my friends got work fruit picking in the counrtyside and I got a job in the city in an outdoors equipment store, so didn't see them for 6 weeks. When they got back, they planned to head back picking for another 6 weeks but I was ready to head off travelling! I met 2 Israeli guys (ex-army, parents were delighted when they heard that!), a German girl and a Belgian guy. The guys bought a car and we headed off for a 'test run' down south for a week..we all got on great so decided to do the trek from Perth to Darwin.

I was very, very lucky that I met people I could trust, who didn't get slaughtered drunk and were great at budgeting! When we went our separate ways after a few weeks in Darwin, I was gutted.

Best thing is to always let people know where you are going, keep a budget and a sensible head on you. It can get lonely, as was my trip from Cairns to Brisbane (seemed incapable of meeting people as everyone was in huge groups/tours) but you'll have a great time.

Susie_Q

I went to Bolivia on my own for a few months when I was 20. Best thing I ever did. It taught me an awful lot about myself, in particular how independent and capable I am (which I didn't know before!)

Put yourself out there and don't get put off by initial loneliness; it won't last! Have a great time and let us know how you get on.

NeonCookies

This thread has cheered me right up

I'm just finished college (got my results today!) and completely confused as to what to do in life. Been thinking about travelling, but wasn't sure about going by myself. I think it's something I need to do. Reading these posts has given me the confidence to say "Yes I can!" I think it will be incredibly liberating to have no one to answer to etc. I've lived at home throughout college and really am starting to get itchy feet and I need to get out on my own.

(....now to work up the courage to tell my boss in my crappy part-time job that I can work whatever hours he needs instead of just my normal weekends so I can save money....thoughts of it :eek: )

Hope I can report back with lovely stories like the ones posted above.

Princess Peach

Done it a few times, loved it!

What kind of places are you thinking of staying in? Hostels are great for meeting people, many who might be travelling alone and you can go for food or sight seeing together. Just be friendly and outgoing and not afraid to invite yourself along. I've had girls invite themselves out with us when I was travelling in a group, and I really didn't mind at all. Loved meeting new people and was not an issue for anyone in the group at all.

A friend of mine did couch surfing around Canada and got on great. Good way to meet some people off the bat and most of them did some sightseeing with her too.

starlit

I've flown on a plane on my own but not travelled on my own as such except on public transport. Would be a be wary but wouldn't have a problem travelling on my own like OZ or Canada if I had someone I knew living out there it be handy out. I would rather have a friend or a group of people to go with or go to someone I know who lives out in one of those places, would make the travelling experience more enjoyable if tagging along with someone! Then again a lot of people might have more fun travelling on there own though. Stay safe though and be careful!

Good luck and Happy travelling OP!
Enjoy

gdmaestro

Ya i plan on hostelling it all the way! not so sure about the couchsurfing...one step at a time for me i think haha!

im lucky enough i have a friend in toronto for when i arrive and a friend who's thinking of joining me for nova scotia who's from newfoundland! so im pretty sorted for the start and the end...i just have to fill in the gaps inbetween! im gettin excited now finally, its over-riding the nerves!

6 more days and IM LEAVING ON A JETPLANE!!!!:D