How Solo Traveler Elise Learned to Be Happy Alone
This is part 5 of my solo travel interview series which should inspire you to start traveling alone! Sure, it can seem frightening to travel alone at first, but once you do it and see how it’s not really as scary as you think, you’ll be ready to take on this world solo every time!
Meet Elise Tanriverdi, she’s traveled to over 10 countries alone and over 40 countries total. Initially, she didn’t consider herself an independent person and didn’t feel comfortable on her own. She took her first solo travel trip and learned to love her own company.
Since then she’s traveled full time on her own. She’s come a long way ever since she took the leap to travel by herself. Let’s deep dive into her experience and hear her personal tips on how to love being alone.
Hopefully, it will motivate you to try out solo traveling even if it means learning to be happy with your own company for even a short time.
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About solo traveler Elise!
Hey! My name is Elise and I’m a full-time travel blogger for just over one and a half years now. I started solo traveling in 2022 and absolutely fell in love with it. And here I am always looking for the plane ticket. I run a travel blog and social media account (@elisetanriverdi) spending my time creating content for the travel industry. I’m 26 years old and haven’t exactly got my future planned out yet. I’m taking each day as it comes with the hopes to move to another country or take another exciting step very soon.
What Inspired Me to Start Solo Traveling
So, like many others, I was afraid to do so many things alone. I was used to picking up a friend or a family member with me just to go and fill up my car with petrol. I couldn’t cope with my own company and the fear of doing things alone stopped me from doing so many things that I loved.
During COVID-19, I ended up spending more and more time alone going for walks near my home, popping to the shop, and doing various other small activities. Then in January 2022, I took my first solo trip in the UK. I absolutely fell in love with going away and doing exactly what I wanted., whenever I wanted.
I went to the New Forest National Park and did some beautiful countryside walks, and drank wine. I had dinner and fell asleep on the sofa, it was amazing. A couple of months later I took my solo trip abroad in Hungary and Greece. From there, my love for solo travel emerged and I haven’t looked back.
Since then, I have taken so many solo trips during that year and eventually, I went into full-time solo travel in January 2023. It has opened my eyes up to so many things around the world. I realised the fear we have lives in our mind and in our mind alone. If you do the things you’re afraid of trust me, you won’t be afraid of anymore.
When did you start solo traveling?
The first time I solo traveled was when I was 24. If I had gotten over the fear that that was living in my mind, I would’ve solo traveled when I was 20. No age is perfect to start solo traveling. I have met people around the world of all ages during my travels. I think if COVID didn’t happen, I may have gone earlier. However, I don’t regret any of my experiences and have been so happy with my journey even if it’s slower than others.
My First Solo Travel Experience
My first solo trip really opened my eyes. As I mentioned earlier, I just went for one night in the UK. During this getaway, I went for a small walk, cooked myself dinner, drank some wine, and fell asleep on the sofa. But the whole experience showed me that if you want something, you can go and get it. It made me realise the only reason I hadn’t started to travel yet was me.
Did you meet any friends when you traveled solo?
Honestly, it’s almost impossible not to make friends while you solo travel. If you stay in hostels and join group tours for different activities, then you will make friends for sure. Especially as you are alone people will just come and introduce themselves to you or you can introduce yourself to them. It’s honestly so much easier than it seems.
For solo travelers, I highly recommend staying in hostels. There are some beautiful ones out there and you will feel really comfortable there. Some of them even offer private rooms so you can meet people in the communal areas but still have your own space.
When I’m traveling, I feel lonely or quite disconnected from home, however, this is because I go on very long-term trips. Sometimes, it’s nice to share certain travel moments with someone, however, I would rather go alone rather than not at all.
Someone is worried about not enjoying the trip alone: what would you say to them?
There are some things around the world that I know I will want to share with someone else rather than do alone, so on those particular trips I will go with a friend, family member or maybe one day partner.
But if I’m honest, this is less than one percent of the things that I want to see, so in the meantime I will go off and explore by myself. All I can say is you can always share time with your friends and family after the trip so don’t let going alone stop you from traveling at all because trust me, you will still love the experiences you make whether solo or not.
If you’re worried about not enjoying a trip alone, honestly I would recommend learning to truly enjoy your own company. I think that once you learn to absolutely love being by yourself, you can enjoy beautiful moments alone as well.
What are your top tips on how to love being alone?
My top tips on how to learn to love being alone would be:
- Take trips that aren’t too far away, my first one was a short one day break in the UK (I’m from Kent).
- Establish a daily routine, even whilst traveling. This can give you a sense of stability and purpose.
- Pursue hobbies you love or try new activities that interest you. This can be anything from reading, hiking, photography, or learning a new language.
- Take time to enjoy the quiet moments. Practice mindfulness or meditation to become comfortable with silence and your own thoughts.
- Take the opportunity to explore new cities, nature trails, museums, or cafes. Solo travel allows you to set your own pace and follow your own interests.
- Whilst it’s important to enjoy solitude, staying in touch with friends and family through messages, calls, or video chats can keep you feeling connected.
- Take care of your physical and mental well-being. Eat well, exercise, and get enough rest. Treat yourself to a spa day, a nice meal, or a quiet evening with a good book.
- Use your alone time to set and work towards personal goals. This could be related to your career, personal development, or learning new skills.
- Having a plan or itinerary can give you a sense of direction and purpose. Knowing what you’ll do next can make alone time feel more structured and less daunting.
- It’s normal to feel lonely at times. Acknowledge your feelings without judgment and find healthy ways to cope, like writing, talking to someone, or doing something you enjoy.
Did you find solo travel to be expensive?
Solo traveling can actually be extremely affordable! As I mentioned earlier it’s great to stay in hostels and join group tours. By staying in cheaper accommodation, you can save on your biggest travel expense.
You also need to plan ahead a little bit if you are working on a budget. You can choose more budget-friendly countries to begin with like Georgia or Vietnam.
Also, don’t rule out working on the go. If you are really on a budget, you can always do housesitting, work exchanges, and other means to make your travels more affordable.
How do you stay safe when solo traveling?
Safety is a huge concern for many people when they think about solo travel. However, it’s not as scary as you think.
It’s quite easy to reduce your risks and keep yourself safe when you’re sola traveling. Of course, we can never remove every single risk, however, there are a few tips and tricks that we can all do to keep ourselves a little little bit safer on the go.
The first thing is, when you meet people do not tell them you are solo traveling, you may be with your family or your friends or partner and they’re just around the corner or waiting for you in the café down the road.
Try also to avoid telling people where you are staying, or how long for.
Another big tip that I know many solo travelers do is tell people that they have been here before, or that they know the area. When you tell somebody that you are new to the area and you don’t know what you’re doing, it makes you seem vulnerable and a big target.
Personally, I avoid going out at night, I’m usually in not long after sunset so this is where I avoid many of the issues as generally crime goes up and safety goes down at night in many places.
I know that many people when they travel enjoy going out for drinks and nightlife, so I’m not saying you can’t do this, I’m just saying keep yourself a little bit extra safe. Take a taxi home instead of walking home, share your location with friends and family back home, or aim to meet people in hostels.
You can also do many nice tours at night involving food crawls or drinks overlooking views! This will mean you aren’t completely alone in the evenings.
How often do you travel and what do you usually like to do when you travel?
I travel full-time solo, and every now and then I will join a small group or a friend or family member somewhere, however, generally, I am alone. I’ve been doing this for a year and a half now with some breaks in between when I am super tired.
How many countries have you traveled solo?
I have been to around 10 countries alone, and plan to continue seeing more and more over the next few years. Solo travel will always be a part of my life, even if I have a partner and a family I will still make sure I go on my own solo trips. I do really enjoy the experience and think it’s a completely different experience that I don’t want to give up.
What’s the biggest challenge for you when traveling solo?
One of the biggest challenges I face whilst traveling solo is the feeling of being overwhelmed. As I am working and traveling on the go all the time, I rarely take breaks. Sometimes days can get quite overwhelming and when you are alone there is no one there to take the heat off you.
But this is when I take the time to call home and one of my family members will very quickly calm me down. I will soon be laughing and back to my normal self. I’m very lucky to have such a supportive family.
Where do you recommend others to go for their first solo trip?
I love this question. My top recommendations for first-time solo travelers in Europe would be Italy, Portugal, and the UK.
For Southeast Asia, I would highly recommend Thailand as it is very accommodating for solo travelers. My next stop would be Vietnam and Indonesia, particularly Bali.
What is on your travel bucket list
At the top of my travel bucket list at the moment are Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Georgia (which I am currently on my way to visit with Jackie from Jou Jou Travels herself).
I’d also love to visit Japan, South Africa, Egypt, and Tanzania.
Do you have any advice or words of wisdom for those who are preparing to travel solo for the first time?
For those planning to solo travel for the first time all I can say is the things that you are afraid of are mostly in your mind. When you go, you will realise that the world is yours and it’s just there waiting for you.
So, take the leap, book that plane ticket, and go for it. Personally, I love to do things last minute, however, if you’re a little bit nervous before you go, I would recommend having your first week or two (if you are long-term traveling) planned out so at least you don’t have to worry about what you’re doing until you get used to the new area and this new adventure you are going on.
Read more on the best places to solo travel for first-timers
Has your first time traveling alone changed you?
Solo travel has changed me so much. I see the world very differently, I experience different things when I travel on my own versus what I experience when I travel with a friend or family member.
It’s incredibly eye-opening and I learned so much about myself, what I want, and my priorities. It has changed my future plans and perspective on reality. It’s the best thing I ever did.
All I can say is if you are debating whether or not to solo travel, and you must be, if you’re reading this, please do it. I cannot explain the experiences you will have. Do it for yourself, and enjoy every single second of it!
Happy exploring 🙂
A huge thanks to Elise for sharing her solo travel experience!
Get Inspired by other Solo Travelers with these other posts!
- Interviewing Anna on her first time solo traveling
- Interviewing Adriana on traveling solo while in a relationship
- Interviewing Ivana on Traveling Solo on a Budget
- Interviewing Samantha on her Safety Travel Tips
- Interviewing Ellie on how her she became a digital nomad
📞 Still afraid to solo travel the world? Then book a 1:1 coaching call with me and I will help answer your questions so you can travel this world in confidence!
For more reading, you may also like these:
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📞 Book a 1:1 Coaching Call with me on Solo Travel
