Solo (by Demi Lovato ft. Me)

In January, I embarked on a very quick trip to Faro, Portugal. The highlight of the trip wasn't the extremely cheap ticket from Dublin (via Ryan Air 30 Euro), the boutique hotel I found for a phat discount (Aqua Ria), or the complimentary bottle of wine I got at the restaurant my first night (if you can fathom it). No, the highlight of this adventure was that it was my first solo trip!

(Faro, Portugal)

One of my goals for my abroad year was to take a least one solo trip. I had planned a trip to Portugal many times, but, each time, a friend invited me to go to Spain, or Croatia, or somewhere else exciting. One of my life rules (as it seems), is to always say yes when a friend invites you on a trip. So I ended up not taking a solo trip, I thought. Christmas rolled around and I was able to get to Portugal for next to nothing a mere two weeks before getting kicked out of Ireland. I said duck it, let's do it.

(My signature door and a pop of color pic)

So off I went on my first solo trip to Faro, Portugal, a tiny little fishing town on the southern coast famous for the nearby beaches. As I was going in the middle of winter, the beaches were cold, and there were very little people. I LOVED IT! 

(the marina - hence the fishing town)

I find the actual solo traveling aspect, like the airport and navigation, completely chill. I'm not scared of flying, I do my research about airport transportation beforehand, and I've been to enough airports at this point to get through relatively easily. The immediate shocking part of solo travel, for me, was the lack of people to make jokes with. Not the silence, silence is A-OK in my book, but, specifically, not having a person to laugh with. I love jokes and I had no one to tell my bad jokes to. That was my immediate "culture" shock of traveling alone. 

I'll write more about Portugal later, but, for now, here are the notes I kept about my solo travels:

• Eating by myself is exhilarating, I don't have to take anyone's opinion into account. Even though I eat alone in Dublin too, but it's different here for some reason. Probs because I've never been here before and the whole ~Portuguese~ thing. 
• Lots of dogs here 
• The fact that I feel uncomfortable walking towards a large group of men just because I'm a woman on my own is ASS.
• The only threatening thing I have to say in Portugese is Ahomburo (spell check that one) which means "stretched out butthole" :/ . Someone at work taught me. Actually that's only 1/5 things I can say in Portuguese.
• I should've learned some more Portugese...

(Obrigada - one of the only words I know)

• Not talking is simultaneously boring and great
• Some lady told me I was brave for eating by myself. She's kind of right, but I'm so used to it I don't really care. Like, it's just food? Sustenance for life?
• The awkward part of meals here though is that restaurants are never busy. It's like the town is so small that everyone just eats at home. So it's just me and the waitstaff which is so awk. So then I walk by another restaurant with more people inside and decide it's a safe bet. PRO TIP
• Also what's up with the whole drinking by yourself is weird notion? Like nah man I can totally drink a cocktail at a rooftop bar all by myself if I want to.

(Said rooftop drink, with rocks in it for whatever reason)

• That free bottle of wine? You bet your bottom dollar I'm taking you up on that offer, I don't care if I'm alone (but obviously not gonna drink the whole thing and get hammered by myself because that's not safe, duh, another PRO TIP.)
• I think I prefer traveling with people, but the nice part of doing it solo is that you don't have to coordinate with others you can just book and go, which allows for flexibility. 
• The anxiety is not my favorite part though, but really when are we (me and my other personalities (jk)) not anxious?
• The lack of wifi here is both really good and really bad. Good because I can not be on my phone when I feel awk and sink into the realness, and bad for the same reason. 

Final thoughts on solo travel:

- Worrying about safety now, compared to Croatia with a bunch of boys, is just so sucky.

- I am totally chill with being by myself and doing whatever I like.

- Silence is totally fine. I love self-refelction.

- Not being able to tell anyone my jokes in person is also sucky.

- I am super down to solo travel again!

Look out for that Portugal blog soon,

xoxo,

Lisa