The Lonely Traveler

I was faced with a huge dilemma when I shared with all of my friends how desperately I wanted to visit Split, Croatia and not one of my friends was able to join me. Although I would have to do it alone, I remained determined to venture off to the beautiful country of Croatia. Prior to my trip to Split, I had nerves and doubts about my decision. What if I wasn't ready to navigate a foreign country on my own? What if I get lonely being by all by myself for four days? What if it just won't be any fun traveling without anyone else? These were real concerns of mine, and they were difficult to ignore. 

So what ended up being the product of my trip to Croatia all by my lonesome? 

1. I made lots of friends that were also traveling alone. The friends I made in Croatia were from all over the world. I was not given a second to feel lonely because I was too busy making real connections with people I had just only met in my hostel, in my tour group, or even at a nice outdoor cafe. It was shocking to me how many people I ended up meeting that were also traveling alone and that were doing so with such incredible confidence. 
2. I did get lost a few times. However, by the end of my trip I welcomed the idea of getting lost because the times I got lost were the times I found the city's most beautiful hidden gems. After a few days of being in Split, I was able to navigate myself through the narrow alleyways without any GPS system or map at hand. Even when I knew the way home I'd go off my path so I could see another side of Split that I was not yet familar with.
3. I had the time of my life. I'm not sure if it was the great weather, beautiful scenery, the wonderful people I met, or the independence of my days, but my trip to Split was extremely worthwile. Had I stayed in Amsterdam waiting for someone to come with me to Croatia, I would have never danced at beachside clubs until 4 in the morning, found a hidden beach while kayaking during a sunset, or swam in the most beautiful waterfalls I have ever seen.

I will never be able to say which trip was my favorite, but I do know that my trip to Croatia will have a lasting effect on my travels in the future. This trip gave me the confidence to pursue more travel on my own in the future and take all the opportunities that are given to me, even if I have to grab these opportunities alone.