Traveling Alone: Embracing Independence and Authentic Exploration

Why is it that abroad, it seems so much easier to be oneself and talk to strangers? Especially when traveling alone.

In my experience, even just traveling with one other person (let alone in a group) tends to form a kind of “closed circle”. Within that circle, locals, whether in city streets or mountain villages, usually hesitate to let you in. As a result, interacting with them isn’t easy unless you actively “break the ice”.

On the other hand, when you’re walking alone with a backpack (looking relaxed and open), it often feels like they’re waiting for their turn to talk—you end up having tea together several times a day, making your belly jiggle as you walk.

Walking alone means you get to decide where to go next, how long to stay there, without negotiation.

This doesn’t mean doing the entire trip alone. In the (highly international) community of backpackers, groups often form for a few days, sharing experiences, enjoying each other’s company, then heading off in different directions. A week later, paths may cross again in another mountain village, rejoicing in the reunion. Even my wife, during several trips in the Himalayas, would sometimes travel with me for a while, but she wasn’t much interested in carrying a backpack over high passes, so we’d part ways along the route… and being uninterested in shopping myself, “Wait there. I’ll go there in a few days, Inshallah.”

Knowing a bit of the local language can open doors. Communication often happens in a strange mix of languages. Sometimes relying on gestures, mime, facial expressions—all partake in the enjoyment.

How locals treat me depends on my actions… “Shout into the forest and the forest will answer,” as they say.

I don’t go on pre-arranged, fully paid group tours. I buy a ticket to my destination and dive into the deeper end of the pool.

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