Solo Travel to Unravel
When I was younger, I was sometimes accused of using travel as a way of escaping reality, or responsibility, or that I was trying to run away from myself.
Contemplating that now as a middle-aged man who still loves to “take leave” from time to time and head off into the unknown, my verdict on younger me is as follows:
Trying to escape a sh*t reality: Guilty!
Trying to escape sh*t responsibilities: Guilty!
Trying to escape from myself: Not guilty, as not even possible!
I figured out in my late twenties that there is no escaping me: wherever I went, there I was, along with all my excess emotional baggage—kilos of it. What I’ve learned since then is that in my particular case, travel seems to actually rub “me” in my face even more than when I’m at home, settled in a routine, and invariably drifting in and out of autopilot.
Of course, that’s the hidden danger of the fixed daily routine; while it keeps us safe, comfortable and somewhat able to predict and “control” life, it doesn’t always ask or allow us to challenge our perceptions and behaviours, or address what’s lurking deep inside. The comfort zone can be just that: reasonably pleasant and predictable, yet far from the self-discovery magic that awaits those who dare to step out.
Indeed, there’s something about solo travelling, and particularly in less developed countries, that tends to bring stuff hidden deep in my subconscious to the surface. I’m convinced that being a nobody backpacker whilst on the road allows me to reflect on the identity I’ve created for myself back home—the Seb that people know—and examine him deeply and thoroughly.
Perhaps it’s the freedom that solo travel offers, or the rawness and vulnerability often encountered that facilitates this shedding of the layers; whatever the reason, I’d recommend a solo trip to anyone who’s never tried it as a way of getting to know themself better. After all, we invest so much in our external relationships, but how much are we really investing in uncovering who we are beyond the known identity, and in nurturing our sense of self-friendship and love?
Solo Travel to Unravel: it’s a great big world, both out there and in there.
