Carefully curated and heavily edited photos, exaggerations over weather/accommodation/food quality, refusal to admit wrong decisions were made.

These are but a few ways in which we tend to hide the truth with regards to our travels and adventures. It is not easy to admit, to ourselves and primarily, to others, that things are not always perfect. This can be the case with any sort of travelling you’re doing – whether with family or loved ones, or solo, you have to be ready to face some unpleasant situations.

Eating alone sucks

A life without solo dining does not exist to me. I refuse to miss out on experiences simply because there was no one available to do it with me at that time. It is absolutely ok to go out and eat alone, whether it’s in a restaurant or elsewhere. It can be an enjoyable experience, a way to treat yourself or to take a well deserved break.

Having said that, particularly during solo travels, this experience sucks most of the time and it took me a while to learn how to make it work for me.

Some of the issues I, as well as many others I’m sure, experienced with it are:

• Anxiety when you feel that people are judging you for eating alone
• Awkwardness around seating arrangement – communal tables/not feeling comfortable to take a proper table
• Being unable to leave the food and your stuff unattended for a while, if for example, you have to use a restroom, because no one is there to mind it

Unfortunately, I don’t have the best advice on how to overcome it. For me, solo dining started off as a necessity which I then learned to embrace. I don’t focus on the judgment of others – I try and remember that they’re all just passing by and if they don’t stay in my life for long enough to have an impact on it, their opinion doesn’t matter. I bring a book with me to read or music to listen to during the meal, if I don’t want to be disturbed too much. I also found people watching to be a fun activity to do during solo meal, it certainly helps pass the time also.

While the sucky feeling of having to eat alone hasn’t left me fully just quite yet, I see its perks more clearly now. It gets easier with time.

Number Two

Unless you’re willing to medicate in order to regulate your bathroom schedule, chances are that at one point or another you’re going to have to take a sh*te in a non ideal environment, such as a public bathroom or an airplane.

On top of your general anxiety of having to do that, what tends to follow from strangers around are uncomfortable and judgmental stares, awkward silence, or worse, voiced concerns.

It’s important to remember that this is a natural part of our bodily cycle. I do it, you do it, and what’s worth remembering – the people who judge you, they do it too. Probably just as smelly and nasty as ours.

See, doesn’t acknowledging the facts release some of the tension already?

As awkward as you might feel during this situation, it’s a necessary, but more importantly, a temporary one. You’re in, you’re out, you’ve done what you needed to do and, yet again, you are most likely never going to see the people around you ever again, so why should it matter what they think.

Take a carry-on you can actually carry

Picture this – it’s the night before your flight, you are going away for 4 days. As you stand above your suitcase, pondering, you put your hands on your hips. Are the 23 outfits and 6 pairs of shoes really going to be enough?

We’re all guilty of over packing, don’t try and deny it. What’s worst, is if you’re struggling to move around with that baggage around your destination of choice.

Whether it’s a wheelie bag or a rucksack, you need to find luggage that works for you as well as for the terrain you’re going to be visiting. Try and remain to be reasonable with the stuff you’re brining with you – if you haven’t worn those jeans in the last year, you are not going to wear it on your holidays hun. I learned this all the hard way, beaten by Lisbon’s hilly streets, ready to throw all my belonging away just to make sure I’ll at least make it to the accommodation.

Trust your friends, but always have a plan B

Speaking from experience, I am never, ever again going abroad to visit my friends without another plan in place.

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making plans” could not ring truer right about now. Even with the greatest plan in place, stuff just happens, stuff you can’t control. However, I feel that when you go and visit someone abroad and rely on them for the basics, such as accommodation or transportation, you are not setting yourself up for success. If your friends fall ill or get called into work for an emergency, you can be left stranded where you are with little to no other options available.

Having a plan B is not going to solve all the problems, but at least being aware of the alternatives is a good way to go about. In case something happens, you’ll be able to make adjustments quicker and perhaps be able to save your holidays you spent money and time on.

My intention isn’t to be a negative Nancy in this post. Travelling is still one of the most fascinating and fulfilling adventures you can embark on. Each and every time I go somewhere new, I learn – about the place, about its people, but mostly, about myself. Sure, there are many challenges ahead, such as the ones I described above, yet they do not discourage me from continuing on my journey. They are challenges to be overcome, I’m doing just that and I hope this post has eased them for you too, if encountered.