Travelling solo. Experiencing solo. Enjoying time solo. Unwinding solo. The Italian word “solo”, which translates as “only”, was originally used mainly in the context of music. Now, however, it’s caught on in the travel industry. Leni tells us, what it means to go solo.
Leni.
Starting with language trips to Miami and Malaga, Leni quickly got used to making solo trips. It’s especially practical when friends don’t have the time or annual leave left to go on holiday.
What’s it like travelling on your own?
So exciting! The moment you step onto the plane and you have the whole holiday ahead of you is a really intense feeling. It’s uncertainty paired with anticipation of all of the moments to come.
For me, this feeling usually lasts until I’ve reached my accommodation and gained an initial impression. That’s when I usually get to know the first people, and that quickly dispels any sense of uncertainty. I used to be really scared of not “finding a connection”, but I soon got over that.
So have you never really felt alone?
Not really. When I travel on my own, I usually book accommodation that gives me the opportunity to quickly meet other people. It might be a (surfing) guesthouse, or even accommodation for remote workers. Spain and Portugal in particular are perfect for solo travellers and remote workers – and not just in cities like Lisbon and Barcelona, but also in places like the western Algarve or the Canaries. And for all the remote workers, there are also Slack channels where you don’t just schedule meet-ups and share restaurant recommendations, you can also share accommodation availability. Anyone that doesn’t want to be alone will always find a way to meet other travellers.
Remote Working: how do you benefit from working away from home?
I was and still am a big fan of the portable home office. The pandemic showed that remote working doesn’t mean an end to productivity and that it doesn’t matter where we work from (at least, this applies to me and my own work – there are of course exceptions and I don’t mean to generalise here).
I’ve already been to Mallorca and Fuerteventura this year, and remote working went really well both times. At my agency, all employees are given laptops, and that means we’re already halfway there. What makes a portable home office so attractive to me is the change of scenery and the improved work-life balance.
About Leni
Marlene Petz is originally from the beautiful city of Salzburg. But for the last several years, her life has centred around the harbour city of Hamburg, the starting point for her international travels! @lenidaisy
Pictures: Lenidaisy