The Night I Declared I Am Done With Solo Travel

I have always wanted to do solo travel. It feels so cool to explore a foreign land just by myself. To follow my itinerary, immerse myself in the local culture, step outside my comfort zone and meet new people. Also, it means my trip is all about me; no waiting or adjusting. The desire to solo travel got stronger and stronger every time I read travel memoirs and blog posts about it, but I never had the gut to do it. But when my friend said she couldn’t make it on our Beijing trip due to an extended Chinese new year celebration in her family, I decided to keep the initial plan and go by myself.

I was pushed to solo travel, and I was ready!

Or so I thought.

I woke up at 5:47 AM on the day, even though my train to Beijing was scheduled for 9 AM. I was about to tick off two things from my bucket list soon: solo travel and taking a selfie in front of The Great Wall of China. Even though I was old enough (too old for the first time) to travel solo, I was still anxious.

I love taking the train, and this journey offered me a scenic view of rural China, which was beautiful! But I didn’t move much during the five-hour train ride. I didn’t go to the restroom or check out the food. Not even people watched. I sat still in my bag on my lap. Growing up in Jakarta, one of the biggest cities in the world, it was ingrained in me that if I weren’t careful even for a second, I would lose my stuff.

Solo Travel in Beijing City

I knew I would love Beijing before seeing it, and I was right. Beijing is a classic poem, you guys! It’s a buzzing city with a cultural touch everywhere.

Once I reached the hotel, I immediately googled food (I only had a cup of latte the whole day and wanted to try the famous Peking duck) and found one nearby.

Four Pillars of Feelings on My First Solo Travel: Cold, Rude, Hangry and Alone

I decided to walk to the restaurant, which didn’t look all that far on the map. Cold weather greeted me. I walked fast and faster while shivering. I remember thinking, this wasn’t what I imagined exploring the city alone would be like.

At the famous Beijing Da Dong Roast Duck restaurant, I was served by the rudest waiter I have ever met. When I asked her for her recommendations, she replied, “you check”, and shoved the opened menu into my face. Not my hand, but to my face. She took the order and told me the food would come in 50 minutes. 50 minutes? I was already super hungry! I should have walked away and found another place to eat, but I was famished. So I sat there for more than an hour without my phone because the battery was dead. Sitting alone with a growling stomach, surrounded by food you can’t eat and without anything to distract my mind, was a defining moment in my life. It defines you if it doesn’t make you cry. I cried a little.

Solo in the City

My initial plan was to roam around the neighbourhood, and I did, for like ten minutes. But, unfortunately, the cold weather was torture, piercing loneliness into my heart. It hadn’t even been 24 hours yet, but I missed having my friends. I missed asking them what they wanted to do and following them instead. I missed talking already!

On the walk back to my hotel, I half-promised myself that I would find something fun to do outside later at night.

Back in the hotel, I turned the TV on (it was my guilty pleasure, without the guilt part), but everything was in Chinese. That’s it! I stopped trying and called it a day. I showered, changed into my PJs, and stayed in bed while binge-eating the cheesecake I bought from a bakery nearby on my way back.

That night, I also declared, to none, that I was done with solo travel.

It wasn’t as great as I had dreamt it would be.

Thankfully, the following days were so much better. I got to see the Great Wall of China. I got to eat plenty of spicy Chinese food in Beijing, explore the Hutong and experience the richness of Chinese traditional culture. Also, in a few short days, solo travel trained me to entertain myself better when I had none and TV.

So, No more Solo Travel?

So, solo travelling will expand you even if it’s nerve-wracking initially. So my suggestion is to do it. Like, now. Another suggestion is to keep a bag of cookies with you because sometimes it helps.

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