Travelling Alone

The reaction I got when telling friends and acquaitances that I was going travelling by myself around Asia was, by the most part, largely negative. Some thought I was crazy, I got the impression some thought it was a bit wierd...others, I detected, thought I was embarking on a life as a sex tourist, indulging in Eleven year old boys around the Orient. I would like to suggest that none of the above is true.

Sole travelling, I am discovering, has its up sides and down, like everything in life. I have already seen the benefits of the freedom it allows. I have stayed an extra night in Bangkok than I had originally planned because I wanted to; no consulting with anyone, no other opinion on the matter. I also get to decide where I go next, and I can change that plan at the drop of a hat, should I wish to. In that sense I feel truly emancipated.

Travelling alone makes you plunge deep into thought which can be a good and bad thing. Great in that I have become super observant and analytical of all that I see, and there is plentiful time for peaceful reflection which is fantastic for my writing. However it's bad in the sense that you can easily begin overthinking things. 'Did I make a show of myself last night? Am I managing my money okay? Is the cleaner really plotting to kidnap me and feed me to her children in a non traditional Thai dish?' It would be nice at times to have someone close at hand for a second opinion in order to stave off narcicistic thoughts.

However I am quite comfortable on the periphery. I have very much enjoyed meeting new people here, illuminating and being illuminated, for an hour or two say, but when it comes to long periods of time I would much rather be alone than with someone who I dont deem atleast an eight out of ten in the personality stakes. I have no great desire to paint my face, buy an 'I love Kaosan Road' T-shirt and become part of the young, touring conglomerate. No thanks. However If I was to meet some people who I thouroughly identified with, and with whom I got on with exceptionally well, then ofcourse it would be nice to stay in their company for a prolonged period and perhaps even become life long friends.

Although travelling alone isnt all about meeting new people, especially if your doing it for the first time. I would say it's more about meeting yourself. For the first time in my life I will be experiencing a prolonged departure from my native city, Liverpool. In taking this step there will be no cultural crutch to lean on, no people, things or places reminding me of how I ought to act or behave. Right here is a blank canvas crying out to be painted. I see this trip not as an opportunity to invent or fabricate a new personality but as a chance to foster the charachter traits within that I am most fond of, traits that I want to move forward with in my life, and thus not becoming somebody new but to become a better version of who I am. Seminal, hippy shit right there I hear you say...but that's how I feel about this whole thing! I'll let you know how I get on with it.