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At some point along the way during my year-long journey overseas, I realized that my adventure had become a kind of transformative solo travel experience.
For a long time, I felt like I was dealing with some kind of imposter syndrome. When I started my backpacking journey, I felt inexperienced and fresh, like I didn’t fit in with the rest of the travelers around me who had more stories to tell, sporting stains on their backpacks.
Of course, within a few months, I, too started collecting stories. I had taken on the Annapurna Circuit and visited ancient sites like Hampi. I had collected stories and a few scratches on my own pack, like any other traveler, but something deeper inside changed.
From Backpacking to Transformative Solo Travel
I found comfort in my new backpacker skin. I got excited to navigate around new cities and towns and found my way across countries by public transport calmly (though often still with difficulty).
After a few more months, a new metamorphosis began. I realized the point of my travels was not about simply achieving the feat of being a solo traveler.
It was about gaining the confidence to walk the world in my own way and being curious and open-minded to the opportunities that the universe presents me with.
It was about acquiring the faith in myself to keep moving and be true to myself, no matter where I was, who I was with, or what was happening.
Below is an excerpt of my story of transformative solo travel.
While in Bako, Malaysia
After taking off my boots and dipping my feet into the river, I give in to the temptation to rinse my shirt in the cold water. I sit there topless, taking in the leaves and plants around me, the rushing water, and the cool current between my toes. I could spend the entire afternoon sitting right here, but I put my wet shirt back on and hit another trail. I’m hoping to catch sight of a proboscis monkey, the animal the park is most famous for.
Beyond the thick jungle area, in the desert shrubland, my shirt dries within minutes. I return to another muggy forest, where my clunky hiking boots protect my toes from bruising against tree roots along the path. I hear stirring in the branches above and snatch my binoculars out of my day bag. Lanky, light-gray limbs contrasting with light-brown torsos and yellow-orange heads—these are the proboscis monkeys.
As they leap from branch to branch, the trees sway. Even with my small budget-friendly binoculars, I recognize the famous spoon-shaped noses. They perch high above me, crunching on branches and leaves. I follow them as close as the trail lets me. Five minutes later, they’ve moved on deeper into the forest, and I continue along the path.
I walk through another mangrove forest off the main trail. In place of the cute blue crabs sidestepping across the sand, I find wee brown mudskippers, motionless in the packed-down mud. When I move my feet, they skitter off in perfect synchronization, fins flapping at their sides in the opposite direction. Though the park is famous for the long-limbed monkey, discovering the mudskippers leaves me just as awestruck.
Back in January, I wasn’t sure how I’d survive traveling a whole year alone. I still get lost sometimes, and I was kicked out of an airport and robbed this month. I’m no expert. At the same time, I have the confidence to say no when I know something isn’t right, like the drive up the mountain with Ian. The confident fire in my belly is ablaze, and my soul thrives as I explore Bako’s trails solo. I’m no longer dreaming of being the courageous explorer traversing trails and solving riddles—I am that explorer.
The thought of going home and facing what to do next with my life isn’t scaring me like it did back in January either. Figuring out the next step will be a new adventure in itself. It might be a chance to discover a profession I’ve never thought of or heard of. Instead of fearing the unknown, I’m excited, open-minded, and ready to surpass new challenges.
Late in the afternoon, I catch the last boat out of Bako. I exhale, tilt my head back, and close my eyes to feel the sun- shine warm my face. How lucky am I to have trekked through these trails and seen the monkeys and the mudskippers? Once I’m back in Kuching, I thank the British girl for her suggestion to visit Bako. I can’t imagine my time in Borneo without experiencing Bako and relishing the new person I’ve become.
Ready to Enrich Your Travels?
Interested in reading more about transformative solo travel? You can read the whole story by ordering my travel memoir.
If you haven’t traveled solo before and are looking to start, I also have two free guides available for new Substack subscribers.
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Wishing you wonderful, life-changing adventures in the future.
Much love,
Danika
