Traveling Solo

"Jodi tor daak shune keu na ashetobe ekla cholo re"
i am fortunate to be traveling around for my work and to make the most of the opportunity, i often tag a holiday either before or after my official tour. people often ask me "do you like traveling alone?" or comment " you are very courageous". well am i? people who know me would say, nope, i don't come across as an adventurous type. given an option, i of course would love to travel with a friend or family. sharing is what makes it fun.

when i see a beautiful place or experience something unique, there is always a feeling of incompleteness unless i share the moment with someone. but i don't want to regret not seeing a new place or country ten years down the line. i regret not traveling while i was studying in UK and i don't want to look back someday and feel the same again. one of my favourite quotes from mark twain goes like this: "twenty years down the line, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than the things you did do".

so quite simply, i don't want to miss things i didn't do! yes there are those sad/lonely/helpless moments ...when i feel absolutely wretched and curse myself for making the trip on my own. but these are few and far between and momentary. i regain my enthusiam in no time and i would say enjoy the travel almost 98% of the time. so what's the 2%? here's what i don't enjoy about traveling solo:

Logistics: i am the laziest person you would come across and i want everything taken care of for me and served on a silver platter! going solo, i need to do everything ...the tickets and visas and planning and booking. the load of getting logistics in place gets overwhelming and i start contemplating even before leaving home: is the stress really worth it?

the Cinderella factor: call me paranoid, but when i am on my own in a foreign land full of strangers (!), my panic buttons are on high alert and i almost always return to my hotel/hostel before sunset. in moments like this, i wish i did not have to worry about getting back alone in the dark. specially paris, the city of lights, really comes alive at night. i heard rome is also breathtaking by night. i have been to both places, but sadly came back before the sunset.

the loneliness bug: i am a frequent victim of the loneliness bug. i see friends laughing, couples walking together holding hands,families having a great time and i miss being with someone at that precise moment to share the joy. i think traveling alone takes away half the fun of exploration. i remember in venice, i was tired walking within two hours and came back to the hotel. venice can't be fully explored even in weeks and i spent so little time there. only because i was feeling lonely and did not feel like exploring and experiencing on my own. homesickness: i have almost got over this one, but not fully. specially if i am at a tight spot with logistics, i miss home. the food, the comfort, the safety, the pamper. meeting a bangladeshi and speaking in bangla thus bring a special kind of warmth when i am abroad.

carrying luggage: on holidays, i am usually on public transport as taxis are out of reach. dragging overweight suitcase in trains/buses and then making the journey to the hotel on foot end up being a traumatic experience for me.