How Solo Traveling Changed My Life!
This summer I embarked on an almost three month journey studying abroad and solo traveling. During this time, I gained a plethora of experiences, memories, lessons and laughs. This all started when I decided I would take two semesters of college Italian language courses and needed to explore a part of the world I never had before.
In June of 2024 I began my journey in Florence, Italy, where I would be studying abroad as well as spending most of my time.
As soon as I landed in Florence, I was met by the warmest air, sunny skies and brick laden roads. I was shocked that what I saw in front of me was real, I had been waiting forever to experience this. When my group reached our apartment I was feeling so overwhelmed. I felt afraid that my bad Italian speaking skills would hold me back, I was afraid of not making connections with my roommates, and mostly I was afraid of missing home. But as the week went on I realized this was going to change my outlook on life.
During my time in Florence I slowly sank into a new routine: sweat, walk to class, eat gelato, sweat more, do homework and finally sleep. Beyond my usual routine, I experienced the most incredible art, sculpture, architecture, wine and history I had been geeking over from afar–finally up close. I took a wine studies class as well as a Renaissance art history course. With these courses I got to taste incredible wine and see monumental works such as Botticelli’s Primavera. It is these parts of Italy that I am immensely grateful I got to see, taste and live.
Beyond my time at my structured study abroad experience in Florence, I visited five other countries. First, I went with a group to Vienna, Austria for a weekend. Five other students and I landed in Vienna at 12 AM ready to sleep and take on the next day for sightseeing. But as soon as we got into our AirB&B, I quickly noticed bed bugs crawling the room. This was one of those dreaded scenarios for me. Our entire group had to scramble to find a hotel in a busy city in the middle of the night, an extremely difficult task. This was one of the best learning experiences I had to test my patience and ability to make the best of the trip. But after finding a new place to stay, our trip was incredible. The food, art, and museums were probably some of the best overall during my time in europe–Vienna is super underrated.
The next place I visited was Kos, Greece. This was the most breathtaking place I have ever seen by far. As soon as we landed on the small island, we were met by incredibly kind people as well as beautiful views. A classmate and I partook in a traditional greek dinner on a clifftop as well as an all-day boat tour. First, the dinner was incredible. The venue overlooked the ocean and the entire island, where we watched the sunset while eating traditional greek food and dancing. The next day, we woke up bright and early to embark on our boat tour, where we visited multiple other small islands surrounding Kos. I truly felt like I was inside some sort of travel magazine, I simply cannot articulate the natural beauty.
Next, I spent a weekend in Paris, France. Despite the many claims that the city was overrated, I absolutely loved it. This was the city where I truly mastered the art of getting lost and enjoying it. Although I did come to the city with a classmate, I spent most of my time there alone, as my friend ended up getting sick. Because of this I didn’t make many concrete plans. During the first day there, I visited the eiffel tower, shopping centers, french bistros and Shakespeare and Co. By the end of my busy day, my phone had died, so I was forced to find my way home on my own. I ended up sitting at a wine bar down the street from my hotel, where I begged a very handsome bartender to charge my phone–he gave me a glass of white wine for my troubles while I read Toni Morrison. This experience of getting lost and letting go was my first indication that maybe it was time to try solo traveling.
About two weeks before my program ended, my flight home got canceled, so I took it as the sign to solo travel in the UK. I started my solo travel journey in Edinburgh, Scotland. I was able to explore the city as well as the Scottish highlands. The city itself was so magical, having the essence of both a modern city and a Victorian past. In the city, I explored bookstores, restaurants, and spaces on my own, rejecting my fears of being seen alone. I met some of the most amazing strangers who helped me take pictures to send to my mom or find my way around the city. The real magic happened for me when I visited the Scottish highlands, where I saw highland cows, the Outlander castle, Lochness, and the most breathtaking hills. During this experience, I became confident in my ability to live and plan on my own. This was by far my favorite city.
My final stop before I returned home was Dublin, Ireland. I only had one day to explore all of Dublin so it was tough to see everything, but I saw the library of my english-major-dreams, the Old Library at Trinity College. This space was that of a Hogwarts library, giving all the dark-academia vibes. Notably, I also made a new friend who I spent the entire day with. It was an amazing day of both friendship and sight-seeing. By the end of this day I was exhausted from all of my travels–I was ready to go home.
Overall, this experience shifted my perception of myself, as well as my ability to be alone. I spent almost an entire week without a single companion, enjoying exploring what I truly wanted, making mistakes, memories and fulfilling my dream of seeing wonders of the world.