lists
DISCLAIMER: This post was written a while ago, but I never got around to publishing it because of the whole lot to travel destination related posts I wanted to share. One day I was scrolling through my list of drafts and found it. I hope it comes along useful especially to those who will be traveling this last bit of summer or going to be traveling on their year/semester abroad.
The other day (or a long time ago - i.e. when this was written) I was on Twitter chatting with a few other people talking about their travel preferences (from favourite seat on a plane to food and drinks) and also, what they do to entertain themselves whilst on a long flight.
A lot of people said they mostly spend their time sleeping. Sadly, as much as I'd love to be able to sleep on long journeys, I'm one of those people who find it difficult to sleep when my body is sitting upright. I need to be in an inclined position or laying flat down to actually fall asleep. I hate drifting in and out of sleep: you know the ones where your eyelids are too heavy to open but your brain is still functioning and you get awaken by every small movement or noise? Yeah, those are the worst (my long flights never constitute hours of sleep).
Anyway, I've decided to write this post, after a year of multiple train and plane rides, to hopefully give you some ideas on what to do when you're unable to sleep on a long journey (my definition of long is anything above 3 hours by the way, if you're wondering!)
From train journeys that last a couple of hours to 13 hour long plane journeys, here's what I'd do to keep myself occupied.
1 | M O V I E S / Y O U T U B E
Starting out with the obvious, when I have wifi on the train/plane, I use it. But half the time, it's too crappy for me to watch anything. So on long journeys I catch up on movies (if available on planes), or watch YT Videos when the wifi holds up on trains.
However, we all know the wifi never really holds up, and there is only so many times you can watch Masterchef Junior Season 2 Episode 4, so when I don't have a connection, I turn to the next few activities.
Remember: Always preload your computer/ipad/etc. with movies you never know when the trains will delay, so if you're going on a long journey and it gets even longer, a movie will definitely take the time and edge off!
2 | A U D I B L E
Most of the time (especially on train rides) wifi barely holds up, and budget airlines don't offer any movies. So this brings me to my next form of entertainment, and that is Audible. I don't own a kindle or iPad and I've tried reading on my phone (gives me a headache all the time) so audible has become my new favourite app.
I preload the books I want to listen to, and there you have a storyteller for company.
During my long train ride from Kraków to Vienna, I listened to half of girl on the train. An interesting choice, and I the story was so gripping I just couldn't stop listening!
Another app I use is Zinio. I pre-download my magazines like Vogue and Nylon, and just read them on the train. Although, I much prefer audible because then I can close my eyes and pretend someone's telling me a bed time story as I attempt to sleep.
3 | T A K E P H O T O S
And I don't mean selfies, but of course you can do that if you want to. This is especially useful when I'm on longer train rides. Train rides pass through really scenic small towns, you even get stunning views (especially those through Switzerland!) sometimes the view is so good you drain your phone battery snapping photo after photo - case in point when I took pictures for my blog post "The Best Plane Take Off Ever".
Make sure you have your camera batteries all powered up, or you have a portable charger for your phone so you don't miss that special shot when the train / plane zooms past it.
Number 2&3 go really well together I must say. By well together, I mean you can do both activities at the same time. Multitasking will make time pass so much quicker!
4 | E D I T P H O T O S / B L O G P O S T S
Most of the time I edit my photos when in on longer rides (more than 5-7 hours). If you blog, own a blog or edit photos in general, you'll know that takes quite some time. So whilst on a long journey, it's the perfect way to kill time.
I must say, however, there are times when I just don't feel like getting my laptop out because the table is too small and its just so uncomfortable.
But most of the times for long journeys, my Mac Air would be out and i'd be doing some form of editing or planning a post (like what I'm doing as of now!)
5 | R E F L E C T I O N S
I like taking the time on planes or trains, well basically any traveling journey, to reflect on life, and my experiences. Maybe it has something to do with travelling alone, and not having to entertain another person or be part of any conversation, I find I get the most "me time" when I'm on a long journey. Even if Im on a long journey with a friend, I feel like it's my own time, because who talks for 5 hour straight am I right?
During travelling journeys, I am able to think about life, have a "discussion" in my head, look back at my experiences with the trip - or anything for that matter - and kind of figure out what I've learned from the various experiences.
I'm one of those people who can easily slip into reflection mode and be lost in that world of reflection, so thinking gets me through long journeys EASILY!
I know sometimes we find these methods extremely simple and idiot proof, but what I want to emphasize is, HAVE AT LEAST 2 MODES OF ENTERTAINMENT.
There were so many times I felt so restless or uncomfortable because of all that time I was wasting on long journeys.
If you're one of those lucky lucky ones who can easily fall asleep in uncomfortable sitting positions, good for you! Otherwise, I hope you found this post useful ;) If all else fails, remember the importance of a PORTABLE CHARGER!
The other day (or a long time ago - i.e. when this was written) I was on Twitter chatting with a few other people talking about their travel preferences (from favourite seat on a plane to food and drinks) and also, what they do to entertain themselves whilst on a long flight.
A lot of people said they mostly spend their time sleeping. Sadly, as much as I'd love to be able to sleep on long journeys, I'm one of those people who find it difficult to sleep when my body is sitting upright. I need to be in an inclined position or laying flat down to actually fall asleep. I hate drifting in and out of sleep: you know the ones where your eyelids are too heavy to open but your brain is still functioning and you get awaken by every small movement or noise? Yeah, those are the worst (my long flights never constitute hours of sleep).
Anyway, I've decided to write this post, after a year of multiple train and plane rides, to hopefully give you some ideas on what to do when you're unable to sleep on a long journey (my definition of long is anything above 3 hours by the way, if you're wondering!)
From train journeys that last a couple of hours to 13 hour long plane journeys, here's what I'd do to keep myself occupied.
1 | M O V I E S / Y O U T U B E
Starting out with the obvious, when I have wifi on the train/plane, I use it. But half the time, it's too crappy for me to watch anything. So on long journeys I catch up on movies (if available on planes), or watch YT Videos when the wifi holds up on trains.
However, we all know the wifi never really holds up, and there is only so many times you can watch Masterchef Junior Season 2 Episode 4, so when I don't have a connection, I turn to the next few activities.
Remember: Always preload your computer/ipad/etc. with movies you never know when the trains will delay, so if you're going on a long journey and it gets even longer, a movie will definitely take the time and edge off!
2 | A U D I B L E
Most of the time (especially on train rides) wifi barely holds up, and budget airlines don't offer any movies. So this brings me to my next form of entertainment, and that is Audible. I don't own a kindle or iPad and I've tried reading on my phone (gives me a headache all the time) so audible has become my new favourite app.
I preload the books I want to listen to, and there you have a storyteller for company.
During my long train ride from Kraków to Vienna, I listened to half of girl on the train. An interesting choice, and I the story was so gripping I just couldn't stop listening!
Another app I use is Zinio. I pre-download my magazines like Vogue and Nylon, and just read them on the train. Although, I much prefer audible because then I can close my eyes and pretend someone's telling me a bed time story as I attempt to sleep.
3 | T A K E P H O T O S
And I don't mean selfies, but of course you can do that if you want to. This is especially useful when I'm on longer train rides. Train rides pass through really scenic small towns, you even get stunning views (especially those through Switzerland!) sometimes the view is so good you drain your phone battery snapping photo after photo - case in point when I took pictures for my blog post "The Best Plane Take Off Ever".
Make sure you have your camera batteries all powered up, or you have a portable charger for your phone so you don't miss that special shot when the train / plane zooms past it.
Number 2&3 go really well together I must say. By well together, I mean you can do both activities at the same time. Multitasking will make time pass so much quicker!
4 | E D I T P H O T O S / B L O G P O S T S
Most of the time I edit my photos when in on longer rides (more than 5-7 hours). If you blog, own a blog or edit photos in general, you'll know that takes quite some time. So whilst on a long journey, it's the perfect way to kill time.
I must say, however, there are times when I just don't feel like getting my laptop out because the table is too small and its just so uncomfortable.
But most of the times for long journeys, my Mac Air would be out and i'd be doing some form of editing or planning a post (like what I'm doing as of now!)
5 | R E F L E C T I O N S
I like taking the time on planes or trains, well basically any traveling journey, to reflect on life, and my experiences. Maybe it has something to do with travelling alone, and not having to entertain another person or be part of any conversation, I find I get the most "me time" when I'm on a long journey. Even if Im on a long journey with a friend, I feel like it's my own time, because who talks for 5 hour straight am I right?
During travelling journeys, I am able to think about life, have a "discussion" in my head, look back at my experiences with the trip - or anything for that matter - and kind of figure out what I've learned from the various experiences.
I'm one of those people who can easily slip into reflection mode and be lost in that world of reflection, so thinking gets me through long journeys EASILY!
I know sometimes we find these methods extremely simple and idiot proof, but what I want to emphasize is, HAVE AT LEAST 2 MODES OF ENTERTAINMENT.
There were so many times I felt so restless or uncomfortable because of all that time I was wasting on long journeys.
If you're one of those lucky lucky ones who can easily fall asleep in uncomfortable sitting positions, good for you! Otherwise, I hope you found this post useful ;) If all else fails, remember the importance of a PORTABLE CHARGER!
5 Ways to Entertain Yourself On Long A Journey
17 September 2015
Venice, ah Venice. The small (sadly sinking?) city that has been on my bucket list since FOREVER. With it's canals, gondolas, singing gondoliers, everything about this city has been romanticised ever since I knew of it's existence.
Venice is one of those cities where pictures alone will put it on your wanderlust list. No explanations needed, ever. Be it day or night, Venice is romantic and extremely charming. From its narrow streets to wide canals and beautiful sunsets, here are 10 reasons (plus loads of pictures) why I think Venice is beautiful day to night.
10 Reasons Why Venice Is Beautiful Day AND Night!
19 March 2015 Venice, Italy
Taking advice from me might seem ridiculous, but, I definitely know how much is needed and how much isn’t. So technically, I can be your bench mark :)
Unfortunately, those who will be going to other parts of the world for exchange, namely Europe, you don’t get the same luxury.
No - you will not be able to survive on Primark clothes and it is not as cheap as what you can get in the U.S. when they have sales.
I’ve survived cold winter temperatures (AND SNOW!) , and I have a sufficient amount of clothes to have 2 weeks of different outfits.
*P.S. I coerced Jerald into helping me for this article, and we had a discussion about it on a train ride to Venice. You can trust Jerald. He is one super organised, mildly OCD, intense person when it comes to packing things.
Days leading up to christmas (especially when I was younger) I usually get the christmas excitement brimming inside of me.
Shopping for christmas presents, watching christmas movies, thinking about the christmas dinner the whole family will have at my cousin's/aunts/uncles/whichever relative's house, singing christmas carols for sunday service (though the church seem to not have much of that anymore the last few years - well it was great fun when I was in sunday school!)
This year, my Christmas will be spent alone with Jerald in a cold cold city - Prague. Everything is a little different, but i'm really excited!
Here's 5 Things On My Christmas Excitement List.
1. Christmas Markets
The Food. Enough said.
P.S. Read about my first christmas market experience here and check back soon for a post on hyde park winter wonderland!
2. Hot Chocolate
I can drink hot chocolate with marshmallows since its freezing cold, and not the 30 degrees I'm used to in Singapore! With the freezing cold weather, getting a cup of warm hazelnut or honey almond hot chocolate from any coffee shop, or making your own, needs no justification!
3. Christmas Lights
I don't typically go to Orchard Road too often during christmas season, the same reason why I don't go down to Oxford Street in London - well once is more than enough. But seeing as this year i'll probably spend christmas day walking around prague, i'd get to see various christmas decorations (pre and post christmas) in the different countries. Exciting!!
4. Fuzzy Sweaters
This is probably the only year i'll wear a fuzzy pyjamas set. Jerald got me a really cute one!! Time to bust it out for winter.
But I'm probably never going to wear it after this year. Singapore is way too hot.
5. SNOW
Please let it snow let it snow let it snowwww.
Hoping if I say it enough i'll get to see snow for the first time ever!!
5. Christmas Themed Shop Windows
I know I repeated the number 5, but it seems like it MIGHT not snow (well according to the weather forecast that seems to change everyday) on christmas this year where i'll be (Prague). So... In the case it does not snow, pretty decked out shop displays also bring in a little Christmas flutter and gets me feeling all festive and excited!
What are you looking forward to this Christmas?
Shopping for christmas presents, watching christmas movies, thinking about the christmas dinner the whole family will have at my cousin's/aunts/uncles/whichever relative's house, singing christmas carols for sunday service (though the church seem to not have much of that anymore the last few years - well it was great fun when I was in sunday school!)
This year, my Christmas will be spent alone with Jerald in a cold cold city - Prague. Everything is a little different, but i'm really excited!
Here's 5 Things On My Christmas Excitement List.
1. Christmas Markets
The Food. Enough said.
P.S. Read about my first christmas market experience here and check back soon for a post on hyde park winter wonderland!
2. Hot Chocolate
I can drink hot chocolate with marshmallows since its freezing cold, and not the 30 degrees I'm used to in Singapore! With the freezing cold weather, getting a cup of warm hazelnut or honey almond hot chocolate from any coffee shop, or making your own, needs no justification!
I don't typically go to Orchard Road too often during christmas season, the same reason why I don't go down to Oxford Street in London - well once is more than enough. But seeing as this year i'll probably spend christmas day walking around prague, i'd get to see various christmas decorations (pre and post christmas) in the different countries. Exciting!!
4. Fuzzy SweatersThis is probably the only year i'll wear a fuzzy pyjamas set. Jerald got me a really cute one!! Time to bust it out for winter.
But I'm probably never going to wear it after this year. Singapore is way too hot.
5. SNOW
Please let it snow let it snow let it snowwww.
Hoping if I say it enough i'll get to see snow for the first time ever!!
5. Christmas Themed Shop Windows
I know I repeated the number 5, but it seems like it MIGHT not snow (well according to the weather forecast that seems to change everyday) on christmas this year where i'll be (Prague). So... In the case it does not snow, pretty decked out shop displays also bring in a little Christmas flutter and gets me feeling all festive and excited!
What are you looking forward to this Christmas?
Christmas Excitement
23 December 2014
1. The Lanes - Vintage Window Shopping
As we were walking along The Lanes, it started to rain. Shop keepers started shifting their stalls into the shelter, under a canopy, or just covering their precious items under a sheet of canvass. To hide out from the rain, the group of us headed into what looked like a small vintage stall with a tiny turnstile entrance.
What initially seemed like a humble vintage store, had an entrance that led to a double-story shop with multiple sections. The shop was selling all sorts of items from toys, old music records, vintage jewellery, to a whole section dedicated to men and women fashion wear.
I was so tempted to buy this dainty gold watch. But in the spirit of saving money, I decided that the beautiful gold watch is not something I NEED.
2. Visit the Open Market
I LOVE MARKETS.
And yes, you should to. Whats not to love about them!
The good thing about the Open Market is, unlike regular markets, was not as crowded. Partially because we arrived the minute it was opened. There were stalls selling cheese, books, craft, pastries, you name it. Daryl and Clarice both got a pack of 6 cream cheese spread for 30p (if I'm not wrong. I know it was rather cheap!) There were several other smaller markets that we went to along the way, but the Open Market seemed to have the most variety. The other markets were selling things like fresh produce, fruits, and some even had furniture!
If you happen to be up in the morning whilst in Brighton, OR, If you happen to (like us) arrive early for a day trip, head on over to the Open Market for breakfast and a cup of coffee!
The Open Market opens at 10am.
3. Admire the Architecture of The Royal Pavilion
After looking at pictures online of people ice-skating in front of The Royal Pavilion, I told myself I was going to do it as well. I had been monitoring entrance ticket sales for a week prior to the day trip to Brighton. As there were several tickets left, I decided not to pre-book it.
Unfortunately, the whole ice-skating thing slipped my mind when I was at Brighton. I told one of my friends “we’ll come back later in the evening” when he asked if I still wanted to visit the pavilion and if I was still planning on skating. However, we spent our evening at the beach watching the sunset and having a discussion about sun rays, and completely forgot about ice-skating.
Regardless, the architecture of The Royal Pavilion is indeed something worth admiring.
And if you have the time, heck, if you just past by, do head on in, because as you can see from my story, “later” doesn’t always happen.
Well, at least we had fun watching the sunset!
4. Visit the Fishing Museum
A museum that we spontaneously headed into to avoid the rain - the rain stopped after 10 minutes (or so it seemed, because we were pre-occupied with the museum).
a) There are is no entrance fee required.
b) There is a huge boat right in the middle which seemed pretty similar to what fishermen would use in the past. It had a net (which was torn apart) and other ship gears - pretty legit.
c) It is conveniently located along the beach.
There is no reason not to pop-in. It's a small museum which talks about the history of Brighton's fishing industry. Being a coastal city, the fishing industry was huge. If you're thinking, "oh man, another museum? I don't want to have to read..." Don't worry. They have a screen showing black and white images/videos of the fishing industry. Let them pictures speak those 1000 words to you!
5. Eat Fish and Chips
Does this even need an explanation?
England = Land of Fish and Chips
Brighton = Coastal City = Lots of Fresh Fish = MUST TRY FISH AND CHIPS.
Personally, I'm not a huge fish and chips fan, BUT, I'm all for trying different food specialities in different cities. Over the years, i've grown to become a foodie (the more places I visit, the more I enjoy the different flavours of food), and so, if you enjoy a good fish and chips, you'll have plenty to choose from in Brighton.
Along the Pier itself, there were several food places serving Fish and Chips, you are definitely not short of options!
That's all I have after a little day trip to Brighton and Hove! Oh I really do hope I have the chance to go back in the summer :)
What other Coastal Cities in England do you recommend?
As we were walking along The Lanes, it started to rain. Shop keepers started shifting their stalls into the shelter, under a canopy, or just covering their precious items under a sheet of canvass. To hide out from the rain, the group of us headed into what looked like a small vintage stall with a tiny turnstile entrance.
What initially seemed like a humble vintage store, had an entrance that led to a double-story shop with multiple sections. The shop was selling all sorts of items from toys, old music records, vintage jewellery, to a whole section dedicated to men and women fashion wear.
I was so tempted to buy this dainty gold watch. But in the spirit of saving money, I decided that the beautiful gold watch is not something I NEED.
2. Visit the Open Market
I LOVE MARKETS.
And yes, you should to. Whats not to love about them!
The good thing about the Open Market is, unlike regular markets, was not as crowded. Partially because we arrived the minute it was opened. There were stalls selling cheese, books, craft, pastries, you name it. Daryl and Clarice both got a pack of 6 cream cheese spread for 30p (if I'm not wrong. I know it was rather cheap!) There were several other smaller markets that we went to along the way, but the Open Market seemed to have the most variety. The other markets were selling things like fresh produce, fruits, and some even had furniture!
If you happen to be up in the morning whilst in Brighton, OR, If you happen to (like us) arrive early for a day trip, head on over to the Open Market for breakfast and a cup of coffee!
The Open Market opens at 10am.
3. Admire the Architecture of The Royal Pavilion
After looking at pictures online of people ice-skating in front of The Royal Pavilion, I told myself I was going to do it as well. I had been monitoring entrance ticket sales for a week prior to the day trip to Brighton. As there were several tickets left, I decided not to pre-book it.
Unfortunately, the whole ice-skating thing slipped my mind when I was at Brighton. I told one of my friends “we’ll come back later in the evening” when he asked if I still wanted to visit the pavilion and if I was still planning on skating. However, we spent our evening at the beach watching the sunset and having a discussion about sun rays, and completely forgot about ice-skating.
Regardless, the architecture of The Royal Pavilion is indeed something worth admiring.
And if you have the time, heck, if you just past by, do head on in, because as you can see from my story, “later” doesn’t always happen.
Well, at least we had fun watching the sunset!
4. Visit the Fishing Museum
A museum that we spontaneously headed into to avoid the rain - the rain stopped after 10 minutes (or so it seemed, because we were pre-occupied with the museum).
a) There are is no entrance fee required.
b) There is a huge boat right in the middle which seemed pretty similar to what fishermen would use in the past. It had a net (which was torn apart) and other ship gears - pretty legit.
c) It is conveniently located along the beach.
There is no reason not to pop-in. It's a small museum which talks about the history of Brighton's fishing industry. Being a coastal city, the fishing industry was huge. If you're thinking, "oh man, another museum? I don't want to have to read..." Don't worry. They have a screen showing black and white images/videos of the fishing industry. Let them pictures speak those 1000 words to you!
Alternatively, you can visit other Speciality Museums like the Toy Museum (I didn't have a chance to go to - it opened fairly late, and by the time we were heading back towards the train station, it was closing), or the Penny Slot Museum (Quite an interesting museum, but really tiny, and no pictures allowed).
5. Eat Fish and Chips
Does this even need an explanation?
England = Land of Fish and Chips
Brighton = Coastal City = Lots of Fresh Fish = MUST TRY FISH AND CHIPS.
Personally, I'm not a huge fish and chips fan, BUT, I'm all for trying different food specialities in different cities. Over the years, i've grown to become a foodie (the more places I visit, the more I enjoy the different flavours of food), and so, if you enjoy a good fish and chips, you'll have plenty to choose from in Brighton.
Along the Pier itself, there were several food places serving Fish and Chips, you are definitely not short of options!
That's all I have after a little day trip to Brighton and Hove! Oh I really do hope I have the chance to go back in the summer :)
What other Coastal Cities in England do you recommend?
5 Other Things To Do in Brighton
1 December 2014 Brighton, The City of Brighton and Hove, UK
Traveling alone means, having to navigate around, taking photos for memories (or in my case for my blog), absorbing as much of the city, as well as capturing as much detail and information of places you go to all by yourself. Traveling alone can be really fun, and also stressful at times.
Case in point: waking up to catch a 7am train with no wakeup call!
But along the way you learn to rely on yourself, be a lot more independent, and also develop certain "special" skills/abilities. Here are some that interesting abilities I've inherited and starting to become a lot better (almost a pro!) at:
1. Handling Multiple Objects At Once
Another horrifying thing, happens when you have to pay for something. In that moment, you somehow end up having your phone in your hand, a camera around your neck, a dripping wet umbrella, and you have to figure out how to take your wallet out of your bag.
Well, hello to another weird new skill set. It is possible. When you don't have anyone to turn to and say "Could you hold my umbrella for one second?", your fingers/knees/elbows/whatever available body part becomes your next best shot.
2. Conversing With Strangers
Traveling alone encourages you to go out there and talk to other people. You're completely alone, there is no pressure to be a certain way, no expectations, no desire to please or accommodate to anyone. The only barrier you have, is the one with yourself.
I've always been quite outgoing, which means talking to strangers was something I seldom shy away from. But what I've realised is that there is a difference between small talk and actual conversation. When you meet people for the first time, it's pretty easy to strike up a conversation, but being able to make conversations last, is a lot trickier.
I was able to hang out with 3 strangers for an entire afternoon when I went on a solo day trip to Oxford - well they were really nice people so that made the conversation a lot easier.
I remember going on a day tour alone for the first time to Normandy and having trouble with continuing conversations over lunch. After the first 15minutes where everyone sharing who they are, and what they are doing in the city had passed, the conversation died down and the silence got awkward.
So I guess after a few more tries of talking to strangers, and meeting different people, you figure out how to go about continuing the conversation. You figure out how much of yourself you'd like to share, what you can ask other people to find out more about them, and you start to appreciate the initial awkwardness that comes when you meet new people.
For me, I don't share too much about my thoughts, emotions and life with people who aren't close to me. Somehow, there was always a wall. This meant that despite being an extrovert, at times I second guess if I should approach other people, and I become a little too self-conscious.
Its not as though i'm being a different person, but its more like they're only getting 50% of who I am - a more toned down version. So figuring out how much I'd like to share with people I meet for the first time took a while, but I realised I definitely got better at holding conversations with new people I meet, and better at getting over my self-consciousness.
P.S. You also learn not to get offended when someone chooses to not talk to you ;) I think this means greater self-confidence, and thats always a plus!
3. Entertaining Yourself/Talking to Yourself
I listen to music or books from audible on my phone when I'm alone. Unfortunately, my iPhone is old and has a crappy battery life. Also, having to handle multiple things at once (see point 1) means that you rather not have the additional problem of fumbling around with your earphones.
Being able to hold conversations in your head, I've come to realise, is a VERY good ability. I used to think most people do it in general (you know, like have little conversations and debates in their head/play both the angel and the devil/have a Lizzie-Mcguire-esque alter-ego), until one fine day, people started telling me, I talk to myself.
Yes, occasionally I think aloud without realising.
Sometimes I wonder if I'm literally talking to myself instead of keeping the conversation in my head.
Then again, in a new environment when you're all alone, you don't have to be too self-conscious. Nobody is around to judge. At most, you'd just look like 'The weird girl talking to herself'. It's not like they'll remember you. Right?
I start to understand why children from single-child families have the ability to be alone ALL THE TIME - *cough* Jerald *cough*, or why my brother had imaginary friends when he was younger.
I can now hold hours and hours of conversations in my head, pretending to talk to somebody, or just thinking about what I would say to whoever when I would next meet them. I imagine what I would say if I had someone on the trip with me, I imagine what I would say if I were to be writing a diary entry about the trip - diary entries that unfortunately have yet to materialise.
I must say, skill 2 and 3 complement each other really well. After adopting both abilities, you can pick and choose to either hang out with yourself and enjoy the company of 'Me, Myself, and I', or build new friendships to expand your social circle, find out more about people coming from different parts of the world, and listening to their stories.
I would say I'm pretty much an expert on skill 3. But, its a good thing that i've been getting better at skill 2!
Hmm, after typing that, I now wonder if I'm an introvert or an extrovert. People who've known me for a long time will say I'm the latter, but I think i'm in transition. Whatever it is, as long as I'm comfortable. Thats all that matters. There's no reason to put a label to it!
What other interesting skills or abilities have you gained while traveling? Do you think there are any other i'll learn along the more I travel to and explore different places alone?
Pictures from my recent trips to Oxford, Barcelona and Brighton.
Case in point: waking up to catch a 7am train with no wakeup call!
But along the way you learn to rely on yourself, be a lot more independent, and also develop certain "special" skills/abilities. Here are some that interesting abilities I've inherited and starting to become a lot better (almost a pro!) at:
1. Handling Multiple Objects At Once
Bag, iPhone, wallet, DSLR, Umbrella - all with 1 pair of hands.
Using your DSLR to take photos whilst holding an umbrella so the rain doesn't slap against your face is actually A LOT harder than it sounds. Especially so when you're trying to prevent the strong threatening England winds from destroying your new cute purple umbrella (my room mate bought me one for my birthday!)
I initially struggled with holding my umbrella with one hand AND trying to adjust my DSLR. The result? I got rain all over myself AND my camera (don't worry my camera is fine! Thank God). Now, I have the ability to use my neck/elbow joint/cheek/ whatever else to hold the umbrella while taking photographs! Otherwise, I estimate how much zoom is probably needed on the camera for a shot, adjust it, and then operating my camera with one hand.
I initially struggled with holding my umbrella with one hand AND trying to adjust my DSLR. The result? I got rain all over myself AND my camera (don't worry my camera is fine! Thank God). Now, I have the ability to use my neck/elbow joint/cheek/ whatever else to hold the umbrella while taking photographs! Otherwise, I estimate how much zoom is probably needed on the camera for a shot, adjust it, and then operating my camera with one hand.
Another horrifying thing, happens when you have to pay for something. In that moment, you somehow end up having your phone in your hand, a camera around your neck, a dripping wet umbrella, and you have to figure out how to take your wallet out of your bag.
Well, hello to another weird new skill set. It is possible. When you don't have anyone to turn to and say "Could you hold my umbrella for one second?", your fingers/knees/elbows/whatever available body part becomes your next best shot.
2. Conversing With Strangers
Traveling alone encourages you to go out there and talk to other people. You're completely alone, there is no pressure to be a certain way, no expectations, no desire to please or accommodate to anyone. The only barrier you have, is the one with yourself.
I've always been quite outgoing, which means talking to strangers was something I seldom shy away from. But what I've realised is that there is a difference between small talk and actual conversation. When you meet people for the first time, it's pretty easy to strike up a conversation, but being able to make conversations last, is a lot trickier.
I was able to hang out with 3 strangers for an entire afternoon when I went on a solo day trip to Oxford - well they were really nice people so that made the conversation a lot easier.
I remember going on a day tour alone for the first time to Normandy and having trouble with continuing conversations over lunch. After the first 15minutes where everyone sharing who they are, and what they are doing in the city had passed, the conversation died down and the silence got awkward.
So I guess after a few more tries of talking to strangers, and meeting different people, you figure out how to go about continuing the conversation. You figure out how much of yourself you'd like to share, what you can ask other people to find out more about them, and you start to appreciate the initial awkwardness that comes when you meet new people.
For me, I don't share too much about my thoughts, emotions and life with people who aren't close to me. Somehow, there was always a wall. This meant that despite being an extrovert, at times I second guess if I should approach other people, and I become a little too self-conscious.
Its not as though i'm being a different person, but its more like they're only getting 50% of who I am - a more toned down version. So figuring out how much I'd like to share with people I meet for the first time took a while, but I realised I definitely got better at holding conversations with new people I meet, and better at getting over my self-consciousness.
P.S. You also learn not to get offended when someone chooses to not talk to you ;) I think this means greater self-confidence, and thats always a plus!
3. Entertaining Yourself/Talking to Yourself
I listen to music or books from audible on my phone when I'm alone. Unfortunately, my iPhone is old and has a crappy battery life. Also, having to handle multiple things at once (see point 1) means that you rather not have the additional problem of fumbling around with your earphones.
Being able to hold conversations in your head, I've come to realise, is a VERY good ability. I used to think most people do it in general (you know, like have little conversations and debates in their head/play both the angel and the devil/have a Lizzie-Mcguire-esque alter-ego), until one fine day, people started telling me, I talk to myself.
Yes, occasionally I think aloud without realising.
Sometimes I wonder if I'm literally talking to myself instead of keeping the conversation in my head.
Then again, in a new environment when you're all alone, you don't have to be too self-conscious. Nobody is around to judge. At most, you'd just look like 'The weird girl talking to herself'. It's not like they'll remember you. Right?
I start to understand why children from single-child families have the ability to be alone ALL THE TIME - *cough* Jerald *cough*, or why my brother had imaginary friends when he was younger.
I can now hold hours and hours of conversations in my head, pretending to talk to somebody, or just thinking about what I would say to whoever when I would next meet them. I imagine what I would say if I had someone on the trip with me, I imagine what I would say if I were to be writing a diary entry about the trip - diary entries that unfortunately have yet to materialise.
I must say, skill 2 and 3 complement each other really well. After adopting both abilities, you can pick and choose to either hang out with yourself and enjoy the company of 'Me, Myself, and I', or build new friendships to expand your social circle, find out more about people coming from different parts of the world, and listening to their stories.
I would say I'm pretty much an expert on skill 3. But, its a good thing that i've been getting better at skill 2!
Hmm, after typing that, I now wonder if I'm an introvert or an extrovert. People who've known me for a long time will say I'm the latter, but I think i'm in transition. Whatever it is, as long as I'm comfortable. Thats all that matters. There's no reason to put a label to it!
What other interesting skills or abilities have you gained while traveling? Do you think there are any other i'll learn along the more I travel to and explore different places alone?
Pictures from my recent trips to Oxford, Barcelona and Brighton.
3 Interesting Abilities You Gain When You Travel Alone
29 November 2014
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)
