Travelling as The Lone Rang-ess

By Alex Smee ·  3 min read · From 500 Words: Travel Tales

Do you prefer to range about the planet with company, or alone?

Every time I decide to take off by myself into the distance, I have a discussion with me:

...and again, you are heading out alone into the world. Wouldn't it be nice, just for once, to share the experience with someone else? 

When you are standing in front of a sculpture from the 13th Century, you could turn to the person next to you and say,

"Whooooooah! Can you believe we're standing in front of this?!" 

Yes, that would be great, if the person you were travelling with wanted to walk through museums for two weeks. The odds are however, that they don't, and by the time you reach the 13th Century section, your friend has become bored and slipped outside to smoke.

OK, so picture this:

It is late at night, you are jet lagged and you are lost inside Shinjuku railway station, the busiest railway station in the world. You have been trying to find the exit that will take you to your hotel, for an hour. No one is helping you or speaking English. It's looking pretty grim. You may be stuck inside this train station forever! Bet you wish you had a mate now!

This is where my lone survival mechanism kicks in... I start to cry a bit, which releases some stress and allows me to think more clearly. I find the exit. I walk into a random restaurant on the way back to the hotel because otherwise I will pass out. There is raw fish hanging all over the walls and the customers are exclusively business men, drinking pints and smoking cigarettes.

If I was with company, I never would have met quite a few of these men, got drunk and eaten raw prawns with the poo still in their backs. No way I would have done that.

...and you're happy that you had that experience?

I think so.

If you're the only person having the experience, does it mean anything? If you can't share your experience with someone else, did it even happen?

You can have slide shows when you get back.

People don't do that anymore! Everyone knows that looking at someone else's holiday photos is boring.

'...and there I am, standing in front of an enormous mountain. You can't see the mountain in this photo, but it's just over to the left. I loved that mountain...'

What about this scenario:

You get caught in a blizzard at the top of a ski run you have never seen before. There is no visibility, your face is freezing off and you can no longer feel your hands. You slide, terrified, down the mountain, unable to spot another human being or the ground. You are scared you will go over a cliff or ski into a secret forrest, never to be found again, but you can't stop here, you will surely freeze to death.

Hmmm... yes, that's quite a challenging scenario, but life threatening situations always are. I'm not sure whether those predicaments are any easier because another person is there with you.

Anyway, the debrief at the ski slope kiosk, with sake and some strangers-come best friends, was well worth it. Did you know that the Japanese ski with their dogs? They've got special ski suits and everything.

I tend to lean toward the lone traveller experience. It adds a huge slab of challenge that makes me happy because I don't head out into the world to feel safe and predictable, I head out to be adventurous and free.

I'm not saying that I wouldn't appreciate someone to speak to on a regular basis, or laugh with me when I stack it in a main street, surrounded by strangers. The need for company at these times is enough to bring me to tears, and sometimes does. But that's all part of it, isn't it?

I have uploaded one of my travel experiences in the 500 Words: Travel Tales project. It illustrates some of the problems you can run into as a lone rang-ess/er: PARIS: ART AND HUNGER.

Prefer to travel alone, or with company? I'd love to hear your experiences. You can share in our Travel Tales project. All details HERE.

Published 05 Jun 2013.  Broome WA 6725


  • Serena Shaddick

    I agree with Michael. Traveling with someone else is fun, but I also enjoy discovering places on my own, at my own pace and in my own head space. The travel partner split is an excellent idea. The best of both worlds, all whilst experiencing another. Oh, and I'd like to put my hand up to go adventuring with you too Alex!

  • Alex Smee

    That is a perfect compromise! I am going to try this one. You can share my next adventure if you like.... but only a bit of it!

  • Michael Bromage

    Alex, I would share adventures with you! I like the trips where we travel with someone for a while then split and head different ways only to meet up on the road again a few days later to catch up and swap adventure stories and survival tips. This way we get a good balance of solo and buddy travelling - healthy for the soul.

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