Author: Inquisitive Society

I’m a huge proponent of packing light. I always pack underwear, because you never know when you’ll have an accident. I use cotton underwear, because it’s comfortable and breathable. I tend to use the same clothes and accessories I wear in my day to day life, which helps me save money and space. I don’t like to use packing cubes, but I do like to use ziplock bags to organize my stuff. If I can’t fit everything in a 25-30L bag, I often take a bigger satchel, sling or messenger bag. I haven’t bought anything special for onebagging, but I have sold a lot of my belongings to make more room. I bring two books with me, a paperback and an e-reader, just in case one of them gets damaged. I also carry two laptops, a gaming laptop and a tablet, and two bags; one for my tools and one for my laptop. I’m always trying to pack light so I don’t have to carry too much around. I also avoid buying items that don’t save much room when folded, such as folding sunglasses. I like to keep things simple and only bring the essentials.

I have noticed that when I’m on solo trips, I’m more aware of how I look compared to the other people around me. I’m not the most fashionable person, and usually I’m wearing whatever I find comfortable, not worrying too much about what others think. But when I’m around people who are quite obviously putting a lot of effort into their looks and outfits, I can’t help but feel a little out of place and a bit self-conscious.

Regardless of how I’m feeling, I still go out and have a great time and make friends. But I’m just wondering if anyone else has experienced this, and if so, how did you cope with it?

Traveling solo can be a great way to meet new people and explore a new city, but it can also be intimidating at times. I’ve noticed that on some of my trips, I’ve felt more aware of how I compare to the other people around me in terms of fashion and style. I’m not the most fashionable person and usually I just wear whatever I’m comfortable in, not worrying too much about what others think.

But when I’m surrounded by people who are obviously putting a lot of effort into their looks, I can’t help but feel a bit out of place and self-conscious. On my recent trips to Berlin and Madrid, I was staying in social hostels for the first time and had the opportunity to meet a lot of people. It was great to meet new people and experience new cultures, but I also noticed that many of the other young women (and guys too) were very well dressed and put-together.

I’m always up for meeting new people and going out and having a great time, but I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced this feeling of being a bit self-conscious in comparison to others? How do you cope with it?

Traveling solo can be an incredibly rewarding and eye-opening experience, but it can also be intimidating and can make us more aware of how we’re perceived by others. Whether it’s the people at the hostel we’re staying at, or people we meet on bar crawls and in clubs, it can be hard not to compare yourself to others.

It’s important to remember that everyone is on their own journey and we all have our own unique style and manner. It’s okay to have days where you don’t feel as confident in your own skin, but it’s important to take a step back and remember that you don’t need to conform to any particular standard.

Everyone is different, and we all have our own unique ways of expressing ourselves. So, if you ever do find yourself in a situation where you’re feeling self-conscious, remember that you don’t need to worry about what anyone else thinks. Just take a deep breath, remind yourself that you’re on your own journey and be your own unique self.

Traveling solo can be a great experience, but it can also be a bit intimidating at times. I recently found myself in this situation while traveling in Europe. I was feeling a bit lonely in some of the larger cities, so I decided to give a party hostel in Barcelona a try. It had great ratings on Hostelworld, and I figured I would be able to break the ice and make some friends.

Unfortunately, things didn’t turn out the way I had hoped. I arrived on Halloween, and not only was I intimidated by the party atmosphere, I didn’t have a costume. So instead of joining in the festivities downstairs, I stayed in my capsule and felt like a complete loser.

I was feeling pretty low, so I decided to turn to the internet for advice. I asked for help and was overwhelmed by the kind responses I received. People shared their own experiences and offered encouragement. Everyone agreed that nobody really cares about costumes, and that it was important to just put myself out there and have some fun.

So, the next day I followed the advice I had been given and decided to take a walking tour of Barcelona. I figured I would be able to make some friends and get to know the city at the same time.

As it turns out, the advice was spot on. I was able to break the ice and make some friends, and by the end of the tour I was feeling more confident and comfortable in the party hostel atmosphere. I even ended up joining in the festivities and had a really great time.

This experience taught me a valuable lesson: when you’re feeling a bit lost and lonely while traveling, there is always a way to turn things around. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help, and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and make some friends. You never know, it could end up being the best decision you make.

I was beyond excited to book a month-long stay in an Airbnb for my girlfriend and I, so four days before the stay, I made the booking. I wanted to save a bit of money, so I accidentally put in 1 guest instead of 2, as it usually didn’t make a difference in the charge. Little did I know, I had just made a costly mistake.

When I went to add the extra guest, I found that it would cost an extra $2,000 a month – insane for two people sharing a double bed. The initial price was $3,000, so paying $5,000 for a couple was ridiculous. I knew I had to do something, so within 24 hours of booking I reached out to the host. Unfortunately, they were firm on the price and wouldn’t budge.

I was honest with the host and asked if there was any way I could get a full refund, as I couldn’t afford $5,000. Little did I know, the host had the strict cancellation policy enabled and because it was a last-minute booking, there were no refunds. I pleaded with the host and Airbnb support to refund me, as no time had been lost on the host’s listing since I had just booked it hours ago. Unfortunately, the host said no and refused to refund me a penny.

I was stuck in a bind – I couldn’t afford the $5,000, and my girlfriend needed somewhere to stay. I had no other choice but to cancel the listing, meaning I lost the $3,000 I had already paid. It felt like I had just gone through a 48 hour fever dream. I know all of the hosts are going to say “too bad”, but the fact remains that this was a really crappy experience.

At 3am, I found myself wide awake and unable to sleep. It was the fourth night of my stay in an all-female dorm, and I had paid extra money to be in a room without any guys. But, an hour prior, my roommates had brought a guy back and started having sex.

My roommates had shined a phone light on my face several times to check if I was awake, and I had stayed silent, thinking that maybe they wanted to have a chat. But, when I realized what was happening, I switched on the bed light and let them know that I was aware. I told them that what they were doing was wrong, but there was no response.

When I asked to switch rooms, the desk staff laughed and said that this sort of thing happened all the time. I began to feel like I had overreacted, especially since I’m 27 and travelling alone to Budapest. I understand that people want to have fun, but I don’t want to stay in a hostel again after this experience. I’m so disappointed.

My experience in an all-female dorm was not what I had expected. I had paid extra money to feel safe and comfortable during my trip, but my room was disrupted by a couple having sex. I felt embarrassed and let down when the staff simply laughed off the situation. Furthermore, I’m now apprehensive about staying in a hostel again. Travelling alone can be difficult, and it’s important to feel safe and respected.

I explain the situation, and he is surprisingly nice. I get my passport back, and thankfully, they let me through.

After two months of traveling Europe, I was feeling pretty confident I had the visa situation nailed down. But as I took an 8 hour bus ride from Bulgaria to Istanbul, I realized I had made a major mistake – I had forgotten to check if I needed a visa to enter Turkey.

In my defense, Turkey was never part of my initial itinerary and I had only added it two days prior, so I hadn’t had the opportunity to properly research the visa requirements. I had also been traveling around countries with no visa or Schengen zones for so long that the thought of needing a visa hadn’t even crossed my mind.

As I stepped up to the passport control line, I quickly googled “do [my country] citizens need visas for Turkey” and realized I had messed up. I sheepishly asked to do a visa there, and the officer motioned for me to step out of line. I was feeling embarrassed and the bus driver started yelling at me for delaying everyone. I explained the situation and, thankfully, they let me through.

I learned an important lesson that day – research your visa requirements before you travel! It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

So no problem at all. Even in Amritsar, which is a small town. \- Food. I am vegetarian so I had no problem. A couple of times I was offered meat but I checked before.

I had been putting off a trip to India for years, believing the nightmarish stories I had heard and the accounts I had read online. I’m so glad I finally took the plunge. India in 2023 is surprisingly easy to travel around.

The country is huge and there’s a lot of poverty, but the scale of it makes it quite straightforward. I think people who say they “can’t handle India” just haven’t traveled to many non-Western places before.

Communication was no problem either. I got a SIM card at the airport for less than $10, with 1.5GB of data per day. I upgraded to 2.5GB per day and had 5G available pretty much everywhere.

Transportation was also easy. Uber is king (except in Goa), and there are plenty of cheap and efficient domestic flights. I bought all my tickets online before my trip and only took a tuk-tuk in Agra.

Language was not an issue either. Almost everyone spoke English, even in small towns such as Amritsar.

Being a vegetarian, food was not a problem either and I usually checked before ordering. A couple of times I was offered meat, but that was it.

All in all, my three week trip to India was amazing and I’m glad I didn’t let the horror stories and online accounts sway me. I visited Delhi and Agra, Amritsar, Rajasthan, Varanasi, Goa and Mumbai, and had a great time. I had visited around 60 countries before this journey and it was definitely one of the best trips I’ve ever taken.

India in 2023 is a great place to visit, with plenty of easy transportation, good communication, and people who speak English. It’s a must-see destination for anyone with an appetite for adventure. I already can’t wait to go back. Read more “Can India in 2023 Really Be as Easy as I Experienced on My Solo Trip?”

He then started asking me more personal questions, like where I was from and if I was traveling alone. I told him I was from the US and was indeed traveling solo, and that’s when he started to get a bit handsy. He kept touching my arm and trying to take my hand, and all I could think was “how could I have been so stupid?”

I took a solo trip to Europe, something I had dreamed of for a while. After a long flight, I arrived in Berlin early in the morning and decided to wander the local area and grab a bite to eat. After brunch, I returned to my hotel to wait for my room to become available. A man came up to me in the lobby, introducing himself and saying he wanted to practice his English. He wore a name tag so I assumed he was an employee. We had a polite conversation and he asked if I wanted to get coffee with him in the cafe section of the hotel. Even though I was exhausted, I said yes.

The conversation began innocently enough, but the man started to get more personal and even a bit handsy. He asked where I was from and if I was traveling alone. When I told him I was from the US and was indeed traveling solo, he started to touch my arm and tried to take my hand. I felt completely naive and stupid for trusting him.

Luckily, a hotel employee came to let me know that my room was ready and I was able to make my escape. I learned an important lesson – no matter how tired or trusting I am, I need to be aware of my surroundings and stay alert. The man may have been harmless, but I need to trust my gut and be more mindful of potentially dangerous situations.

I can just put up with it’. I sat down at a table and only then did I realise that everyone else in the room was wearing pyjamas. I had just walked into a pyjama party, that I hadn’t been invited to. I was so embarrassed and embarrassed for the staff who must’ve been so embarrassed by me. But the staff handled the situation so well, they just said ‘it’s a private event’ and quietly ushered me out. I didn’t stay to watch the football, I just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.

Tonight I learned a valuable lesson, always double check your reservations and always ask if there is a dress code.

Tonight I learned a valuable lesson the hard way. I had made a reservation at a restaurant in Porto, thinking I’d get there at 7pm and have enough time to eat before the football match started at 8pm. Little did I know, I was going to be walking into a pyjama party.

When I arrived at the restaurant, there was a large crowd outside, which was unexpected for that early in the evening. The staff then ushered everyone inside, but I didn’t realize until later what was happening. When I got down the stairs, the staff started leading people to a room in the back, and I was just following the crowd, assuming that this was how it was usually done.

When I got to the room, I saw that all of the tables were really close together, and everyone was wearing pyjamas. That’s when I realized I had walked into a pyjama party that I wasn’t invited to. I was so embarrassed, and embarrassed for the staff who had to deal with me. Thankfully, they handled the situation well and just said it was a private event and ushered me out.

Tonight I learned a valuable lesson: always double check your reservations and always ask if there is a dress code. It might have saved me a lot of embarrassment if I had done so.

Four times in the last three months, I’ve been asked to switch seats on an airplane. Today, on a work-related flight, the same situation arose. Seated beside me was a man, who had a first class seat, but wanted to sit with his wife, who wasn’t in first class. He politely asked the flight attendant if he could switch with me, and I graciously offered. While I was happy to oblige, it made me realize that this wasn’t the first time a fellow passenger had asked me to switch seats.

In the past three months, I’d been asked to switch seats no less than four times. Whether it was someone wanting to sit with their family, someone needing more legroom, or someone wanting a window seat, I’d had my fair share of requests. I’d paid for my seat and chose it for a reason; the aisle seat offers more freedom of movement and more room. And yet, here I was, asked to switch seats yet again.

This time, I was ready to stand my ground. I politely declined the man’s request and said, “No, there is absolutely no chance.” While I may have missed out on a free upgrade and some complimentary drinks, I was proud of myself for sticking to my guns. I’d paid for my seat and I felt I had the right to stay in it.

We all need to remember that when we book our flight, we’ve chosen our seat for a reason. If you want to sit beside a loved one, upgrade your ticket, or make sure you book ahead of time and choose the seat you want. Don’t expect others to give up their seat for you. We all have the right to stay in the seat we paid for.