Concerns Fears and
Who do I talk to when I’m alone?
To yourself, of course. Write letters and keep a journal. Think about what you’ve experienced. Study the language. Observe people. Play with children. Make friends. Hit on German backpacker gals/guys. If you’re an American you may already be world class at talking to strangers.
I want to travel, but I don’t like the idea of going alone. This is the biggest hurdle for many would-be-travelers. The hard reality for many is if we don’t go backpacking alone, we aren’t going backpacking. You have to be lucky to have a travel partner with similar goals, time, and money as yourself. Plus, can you realistically expect to have a travel partner with whom you want to spend almost every hour of every day? Traveling alone will
force you to meet other people, and will probably expose you much more to the real experiences of travel. If you feel you must travel with someone, there’s a good chance you will meet another person in similar circumstances as you travel. I have traveled with dozens of backpackers for periods long and short--from a few months to a few weeks, a few days, even a few hours. It’s fun, and you can go off on your own again whenever you must.