You might have seen the occasional reference on my socials to a holiday here or there. The truth is, my last family holiday was to Salou in 2013. After that, I didn’t travel at all – mainly for the usual reasons: money, no job, zero-hours contracts, college, university, covid, and, yes, still money. But if I’m honest, there was one reason above all: I had no one to go with.

There are so many places and events where the biggest barrier is simply not having someone to join you. The other reasons can be managed or planned for, but wanting to go somewhere and having no one to go with often feels fatal. There’s this expectation that certain things are for groups, couples, or friends. No one wants to look like “Billy No Mates.” But if there are things you want to do in life, why should you have to wait for someone else to do them with you? My parents would invite me on their holidays, but there’s a certain embarrassment about going away with your parents in your 20s. Surely, the only thing sadder than having no one to go with is having to go with your parents?

Eventually, I crumbled. Everyone else seemed to be out living their lives, seeing the world, and having fun. Meanwhile, I spent my 20s doing nothing but saving money. I don’t drink, smoke, or party – yes, I’m very boring. Don’t judge. I want my wasted youth back.

In 2023, I finally decided to make a change. What was the point of saving for a house I’ll never afford on my own? Or booking days off work just to go to Wetherspoons for lunch? It took a while, but I finally snapped. I needed a break from the monotonous routine and the endless cycle of nothing changing.

I started researching where I could go and how to get there. It was August 2023 when I began looking, and by September, I’d booked a trip to New York. I’d always wanted to go, but having never travelled alone – and with my parents’ repeated warnings about the perils of solo travel – I decided to join a tour group in New York. It felt like a safe way to see my first city alone while still having people around. I didn’t need to stay home just because I didn’t have someone to go with. I could still do things. It could work.

I packed my suitcase (and then repacked it with less trainers), made it onto the plane to JFK, and eventually found the airport transfer to the hotel. Every step of the way, I expected someone to challenge me, to stop me and ask, “What do you think you’re doing here?”

But it never happened. That trip to New York turned out to be the best decision I’d made in years.

Naturally, it kickstarted a love for travelling. Soon after coming back, I went to Gran Canaria, and since then I’ve visited Malta, Rhodes, Copenhagen, and New York again—with plenty more places on my list. I even got over the guilt and started going on family holidays again, visiting Cyprus, Zante, and Fuerteventura.

Suffice it to say, I now love to travel and I’m quite happy to do so alone. My parents might prefer a quiet holiday by the pool, but I love to wander and explore new places.

If you’re reading this and thinking about doing something alone or travelling solo – go for it. When you realise most people aren’t looking at you for being on your own, it opens up so many possibilities. It can be awkward occasionally, but overall, the experience far outweighs any discomfort.

If you’re curious about my solo travels, I’m planning to start writing up where I’ve been – the highs, the lows, tips for flying solo, and everything else. Look out for the first one, covering my first trip to my favourite place: New York.

Happy solo travelling!