When you have your sister next to you on the plane the chances of talking to a stranger are practically inexistent. When you visit a city with a friend you get lost in your conversations and miss out on details the city has to offer. When you take a vacation with your parents, they do most of the planning and you just follow, happy to be somewhere new. All these experiences are great and need to be lived at one point in your life. But being alone, travelling solo, is also an important experience to have.
I find that when you are alone you are more open to new experiences, open to starting conversations with strangers. "Where are you from? What are you doing here? Where are you off to tomorrow?" A simple question with a long answer that more than likely will start a friendship. I say travelling alone, but you are never lonely. There is always someone to talk to, to listen to. Someone with a good idea that maybe you'll try on your next trip such as grabbing a bike and going... Or a neat organization that you can get involved with back at home... Even a cool hostel you MUST stay at when you visit that city. Everyone has a story, you just have to be open to hearing it and not be afraid of sharing yours. Someone once told me you could be anyone when you travel; no one does background checks. And it's true. But what fun is pretending to be someone you're not when the ones who judge you aren't worth your time, and the ones who don't will make you smile? In the end those are the people you will remember when you go back home.
I am in the south of France, a city called Nice. Tomorrow I visit Cannes and Thursday I fly to Venice!
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