-by Roli Singh Chauhan
Have you ever been on a solo trip?
Travelling solo is one of the best things to do if you’re willing to challenge yourself in a quest to discover yourself.
The concept of solo travelling amuses many and there was a time when I thought it was not my cup of tea. Coming from a joint family and getting married in a joint family, I was only used to living amongst people and before solo happened, never lived for a day alone. The thought itself was both challenging and exciting.
The dependency on others for your trips, not getting me time and also to rediscover myself ( as you are always playing so many roles) motivated me to go for a solo. And after six months of contemplation, I finally decided to take one and have my own experience. I also want to thank my friends who have taken solo trips and motivated me to do the same.
People ask me ‘ Why a solo trip ?’ My reason was… I wanted to meet myself, let go off my fears, talk aloud, be responsible and make my own choices.
My life revolves around people, a whole lot of, and what you yearn after some time is solitude and a place where you can listen to your inner voice, a corner where you can enjoy that meaningful silence, let go of everything, shed tears and also meet your inner-self.
My first solo destination was MUSSOORIE
No itinerary, no timings to be followed, no responsibilities (except for taking care of your self). It’s you and only you.
I aimed wanderlessly, enjoyed the sunrise with the cup of tea, watching the sunset, the sight of the night all lit up, going for a soft trek and sitting in cafes are the things I enjoyed most.
While I am writing this so many memories are popping up. I overcame my fear of sleeping alone and letting go of many unwanted things in life. I felt liberated.
You enjoy solo when you learn to love solitude, it teaches you to rediscover yourself, gives you the strength to do things independently. When I thought my first solo will be just experimental, let me tell you that after having that experience, there was no stopping.
Though I started my solo at the age of 40 and have taken three trips altogether to date, my next trip was to Rishikesh.
It was a different experience altogether as I stepped out of my comfort zone and stayed in a hostel just to have a feel of it. I went for trekking and river rafting and further learnt a very important lesson of life, that to be strong you have to challenge yourself mentally and physically.
I have always been a mountain person so for my third solo, I thought of going to Alibaugh.
To sit and listen to the shore and watch the waves coming towards you, is a feeling which cannot be expressed in words.
Different places not only gave me different experiences but memories forever.
As I wait for my next solo trip to happen, I can say that you learn best when you’re not enclosed in rooms. Who can be a better teacher than nature and experiences like these add value to your life?
To sum up, will say
“Travelling solo means getting to know the real you.”
Would love to hear your experience of Solo.
If you are a solo traveller, we would like to hear more of your experiences, adventures and other exciting stories…do mail us at womeshinemag@gmail.com
