SOLO TRAVELLING: self care and all encompassing therapeutic experiences

So far, I have been to 10 states in Nigeria, I'm not very proud of this and I know you also agree I could do better! Most of these trips have either been for school excursions, choir presentations, or church programmes. Even my international trip to Portugal, for the Catholic World Youth Day, was also with a group.

The only time I've travelled solo out of my state was when I made trips to school after holiday, when I travelled back home for holiday and when I travelled for my NYSC. In fact, I started travelling alone in 2019 when my parents’ minds could take it.

In my short time of travelling alone, I have come to love it. I realized how much freedom came with it. I took off whenever I wanted, I didn't have to wait for anyone, I enjoyed my peace and space and most especially I enjoyed some quiets - no conversations with anyone, just me by myself. Ears plugged, solemn music or hymns playing (I'm catholic, and I love listening to hymns while travelling), fresh air blowing through my head and enjoying different sceneries by myself. How much therapy can one ask for again?

The point is, my study has shown that travelling alone is not only therapeutic but has also helped hurt people heal, it has given the sense of being free from any form of judgements, expectations and non-expectations that have bound some, and it has helped with personal discovery. 

If I already love the idea of solo travelling within my country, imagine what it would be like to be able to travel the world alone. 

I have not only come here to tell you about the peace that comes with travelling alone, I have also brought you someone who is well travelled, whom through her years of experience, we can gain more insights into solo travelling.

Olori Temitope Adewusi is the CEO of SoughtOut Travels Ltd @soughtout_travels, a successfulcompany which has helped hundreds of travellers to sort out their travel plans and destinations. As an expert in travelling, she agreed to my request for an interview with her to shed more knowledge on solo travelling. Here are highlights of our question-answer conversation.

Hello Olori good afternoon, how have you been?

Olori - I'm very well, thank you!

What is your idea of solo traveling?

Olori – solo traveling is simply the act of travelling alone.

When did you start solo travelling?

Olori– I started travelling out of Nigeria in 2009. 

What motivated you to start travelling solo?

Olori – My love for holidays and exploration

How often do you travel in a year?

Olori- 2024 is the year I travelled the most so far. As of now, I have travelled to 19 countries and even for some countries, for example Kenya, I have been there more than once this year. In 2023 I did 7 times, 2022 I travelled 8 times that year , in 2021 I travelled to Jordan once when COVID was rounding up in September and my trip in 2020 was in January before COVID, to Israel, to mark my 40th birthday.

What are the challenges you face during your travels?

Olori – The major challenges I face include cultural differences which requires adaptation from my part, language barriers which makes communication hard and racism – trust me, in this time and age, racism is still existent in foreign countries and it’s a major challenge for outsiders, especially Africans that travel to their countries for one or two.

How many countries have you travelled to?

Olori – 48 so far

How safe is it to travel solo?

Olori – most countries I have been to are secured and affords me safe environments both for work and holidays. You can work even at night and be safe!

How has travelling solo affected your personal growth?

Olori – Travelling at all is educational. Going to different places means you also get to learn about the place, the people, their culture, food and values. I have learnt a lot from my trips and my experiences there have contributed to my education.

What activities do you do?

Olori – My activities are dependent on my adventure at the time. For example, during my trip to Kenya recently, I did fun activities including going to see the safari, canopy rock, coastal area, and many other places. My activities can be explorative, fun, relaxing, religious, business-related and more, all depending on my aim for each trip.

Do you have travelling companions?

Olori – well, the aim of solo travelling is to travel alone, so I don’t have travelling companions. Except for rare occasions when my husband is free and we travel together.

How do you get resources for your trips?

Olori – My greatest resources are my networks. I invest in quality relationships and I have a huge network which I leverage on.

How do you deal with language barriers?

Olori – I make use of Google translator when I want to converse and on the other hand, before I travel to a country that does not have English as their official language, I watch YouTube videos on their language to learn the basics.

What do you have to say to people that plan to embark on their solo trips after retirement?

Olori – A retirement plan is not bad, in fact many people start their solo travels after retiring, but I for one want to tell you that you should rather start investing in travelling plans when you’re young. Explore the world in your youthful days, because travelling is stressful and can be tiring. Retiring means you’re nearing your old age when the strength would not be the same as when you’re younger and your health then may not afford you the chance, so do it now, make travelling one of your goals now, when you’re still young.

Is it hard to start travelling solo?

Olori – One thing for sure is travelling is not cheap and there may be some challenges at first, however, if you set your mind to it and you put your priorities right, it would slowly become a part of you and you would know how to have better experiences as time goes on.

Which do you prefer between Solo travelling and Group travelling?

Olori - Well, both have their advantages. As for group travelling, you get to make friends and bond with them, grow your network and connect with people of like minds. But if I’m to choose, I would rather travel solo. This is because, traveling alone affords you the opportunity to do your activities at your own pace and time, you don’t have to worry about being left behind or leaving a group member behind, you don’t have to worry about arriving a venue at the same time and leaving together, and you don’t have to answer to anyone that might act as your group leader, no delays, no rushing; you get to be by yourself and make your own rules. Apart from these, solo travelling for me is a form of self care and it makes you have the all encompassing therapeutic experiences.

Lastly, any advice for intending solo travellers?

Olori – As mentioned above, I started travelling out of the country in 2009, that was after my service year in 2008. Before I started, I vouched to myself that I would make at least an international trip in a year. I started small and made my trips around countries that weren’t hard to get into. My first solo trip was to Ghana, when I couldn’t afford a non-African trip the following year, I went to Ghana again and with more effort and hard work I started making trips to other continents.

If you want to make your travelling dreams come through, set your mind to it and work very hard to this end. Little by little, build your travel history and be a good traveller in character, do not default rules and regulations and try as much as possible to not have a bad image even in your country. Going to other countries and coming back without having issues makes it easy for you to apply to visas for other international countries.

Also, if you want to begin your solo travelling journey, here is a list of countries you can start with: Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Uganda, Ghana, Kigali, Kenya, Tanzania, Singapore.

 Do you want to start your international trips?, contact @SoughtOut_travels on instagram for consultations and to get started.