Travelling alone. I think this was the first time that I've travelled alone and truly enjoyed it. I mean not just, it was nice enough, but really something that I'd seek out and do again. I've enjoyed it in patches before, especially on short trips. But this foray to the Greek islands I really enjoyed the experience of being on my own. I had a few moments of doubt, and boredom, but overall I liked it. I liked making my own decisions, eccentric as they might be. I liked listening to podcasts and sitting on beaches. Spending as I wished. Two reasons I think. First of all, I actually stayed in a nice hostel (Perissa, Santorini) with cool people. Really got to know them, got drunk with them. Even if some of them were kind of douchers, it's still fun to hang out with completely new people for once. There's always some real characters out there, who can be fun for a while - the gay hair dresser, the saucy Ozzy, the witty British med students, the friendly but clueless American, the naive Canadian Uni grad, the somewhat bewildered Korean, etc... Secondly, I think I'm allowing myself to enjoy my own company more than I have in the recent past. Introversion is such a part of my character that I try to fight it. I try to convince myself that I'm better off with other people. But the reality is that sometimes I'm just better off, and happier on my own. In fact hostel travel is pretty much ideal for me. I can do my own thing, but then go and hang out with people, get some drinks, have some fun, when I get bored. Plus I love the sun, and greek food. I wish I could have stayed longer but money was getting tight. There's nothing quite like travelling with friends, but there's definitely real advantages to doing it this way.
