As my 8-week solo backpacking adventure is coming to an end with only 1 week left, I am starting to reflect on what happened during this journey and think about how this experience has changed me.
Everything starts with a why – Why travel solo? Most people think I am crazy putting myself into unfamiliar situations traveling to some developing countries. People who care about me are worried and they tend to implant doubts into my mind (with the possibility of being kidnapped by ISIS being top of the list).
To me, the decision to travel solo is simple: I want to travel the world when I am still young, and now is the best time to do so before other commitments kick in.
I work, save, invest, repeat – What does that give me? Options. Options to choose the lifestyle I want – Options mean different things to different people: Some want to start a family and raise beautiful kids. Some want to travel the world. Some want big house fast cars. Some want to sit on a couch eating Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and watch the latest Game of Thrones all day every day. Maybe you want these all – You may be influenced by your peers but ultimately it is your life and is up to you what you want to do.
What did this solo adventure do to me? It opened my mind and exposed me to more options: Back home people have similar mindsets and the options are pretty standard. It is when I travel solo and have the opportunity to meet travelers from all over the world, my options expand – Now I know that there are more ways to live life than I have ever imagined; not only did my options expand, I also started to understand what I truly value: I prefer living in a hostel meeting other travelers than staying in a 5-star hotel. I enjoy being the only expat eating food with locals than going to a touristy restaurant – My values may be different from what the media try to make me believe, or may be I am just weird.
I also learned that how memorable an experience is has little to do with how much it costs: Some of my most memorable experiences costed little or nothing (like biking around a lake for two days, being the only expat eating with locals in multiple countries, or even walking around to find a barber in the middle of nowhere); on the other hand, a few tour groups that I paid high price for ended up being mundane and forgettable.
Solo travel offers you the flexibility to spend your days however you want: If you want to be social and meet new people, there are plenty of opportunities especially if you stay in hostels; if you want to enjoy being tranquil and talk to no one for a couple of days, you are free to do so as well.
I was inspired to travel solo – To explore, connect, and hopefully inspire other people to do the same. Now I have done it, there is only one way to go – Do it again.
This is how we roll: Find the tallest pagoda and climb as high as we can.
@OldBagan
Magnificent view.
@OldBagan
Like a pyramid.
@OldBagan
My e-bike.
@OldBagan
This is how we backpackers roll: Get a motorbike to go places.
@OldBagan
Thinking about what to eat for breakfast.
@OldBagan
Climbing a pagoda @ 5:30am to catch the sunrise.
@OldBagan
Climbing a pagoda @ 5:30am to catch the sunrise.
@OldBagan
Climbing a pagoda @ 5:30am to catch the sunrise.
@OldBagan
Fellow solo backpackers from NYC and Holland.
Dave has traveled solo to more countries than my fingers and toes can count, combined. We ran into each other at the airport on our 1st day in Myanmar, found out that our schedules were fairly similar, and decided to travel together for their next couple of days.
She is even crazier, motorbiking all over Laos and Myanmar – And she is freaking 19 years old!
@Mandalay
Monks lining up to get lunch.
@Mandalay
Monks lining up to get lunch.
@Mandalay
He doesn’t seem to mind the flies all over his body and food.
@Mandalay
Intro to paying attention in class.
@Mandalay
Monks chilling between classes.
@Mandalay
Most girls in Myanmar have yellow paste (thanaka) on their faces. It serves the purpose of sunscreen, cooling, and cosmetic.
@Mandalay
Getting a boat ride to get ourselves and our bikes across Inle Lake.
@InleLake
Typical house.
@InleLake
Leg-rowing fishermen.
@InleLake
Heading back home from the market.
@InleLake
Instead of biking 2 hours back to the hostel, we decided to just hop onto a truck – Pretty fun (and bumpy) sitting at the back… What seatbelt?
I don’t buy souvenirs, but I did out of necessity buy a couple of T-shirts, tank-tops, and a pair of flip-flops. The flip-flops were probably my best investment as everyone wear flip-flops in this hot weather, and temples kept making me take off my shoes.
@InleLake
Cute little kids selling me soda.
@InleLake
I like the hostel so much I don’t even know where to start. Let’s just leave it at that.
@InleLake
Instead of eating at touristy places, we enjoyed eating with the locals and often found ourselves being the only expats at local eateries.
@InleLake
Instead of eating at touristy places, we enjoyed eating with the locals and often found ourselves being the only expats at local eateries.
@InleLake
I don’t smoke. I don’t even know how and don’t really want to know.
But these hostels in Myanmar kept offering free Burmese cigars that I had to try once.
@Mandalay
Wandering through local markets.
@InleLake
Trying the local betel leaf snack. Your teeth will be stained red if chew regularly. Weirdest taste ever.
@InleLake
Farming.
@InleLake
Sunset at U Bein Bridge.
@Mandalay
Wandering through the Indein Village.
@InleLake
Wandering through the Indein Village.
@InleLake
Volleyball game at sunset.
@InleLake
Flights in Myanmar are fairly unreliable. 2 out of 3 times they canceled my flights without letting me know. I went to the airport and was like, oops no flight out.
I ended up taking the overnight bus, which was quite fun and saved me some money. Except this longer flight to Yangon that I had to take.
@Yangon
We got nothing else to do and decided to sneak into an abandoned amusement theme park.
@Yangon
We got nothing else to do and decided to sneak into an abandoned amusement theme park.
@Yangon
We got nothing else to do and decided to sneak into an abandoned amusement theme park.
@Yangon
We got nothing else to do and decided to sneak into an abandoned amusement theme park.
@Yangon
Took a local train and randomly got off at a local market. Vendors literally do business ON the railway – They walk away when they see a train comes.
@Yangon
