I’m a big advocate in quality alone time. I love it. I think it’s hugely important to be totally content in your own company. However previously i’d never actually gone on holiday to explore a new city on my own.
Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills
I went to Hollywood for my first solo travelling trip, as in my head it was my dream to go to the glamarous tinseletown, where obviously I would be rubbing shoulders with the A list celebrities and going to lavish parties, sipping on martinis while eating canapes. Erm..not so much. Unfortunately no jaw-dropping, wild story of a night out with Rihanna followed by an after-party at Ryan Goslings beverly hills mansion. I wish!
Ryan Gosling’s mansion?
My first day out was actually really horrible. I was walking down Hollywood Boulevard (is it just me or is it the most disappointingly tacky street ever?), looking at the Hollywood stars on the ground thinking, is this it?
I felt massively self-conscious I was on my own and thought surely everyone was thinking, oh poor girl having to ask all these people to take a picture of her with the Hollywood sign. And when I say all these people, its because they kept taking terrible photos. Therefore I had to creepily linger by the side waiting for the crowd to finish taking photos of their friends, slowly drift off, until a new fresh group of people arrived in order for me to ask the next friendly face to take another photo of me. I’m sure this happened like 4 times. (Ok i really wanted a good photo).
Over an hour later and starving, I had to find a place to eat. This was even worse. For some reason I convinced myself EVERYONE was staring at me wandering aimlessly up and down the corridors of the Hollywood & Highland center for what seemed like a life-time, just not being able to pluck up the courage to sit at a restaurant on my own. I was desperately searching for a cafe with a solo diner to give me the nod of ok. I finally settled on a tiny cheap cafe tucked away at the back eating my caesar salad on a paper plate whilst longingly looking at the groups of friends chatting away at their fancy fine-dining seafood restaurant on the other side.
Feeling pretty deflated and lonely, I got back to the hostel and was so ready for some company. As I approached the bustling communal area full of people laughing and bonding, I felt increasingly nervous with each step, reached the entrance and then promptly walked straight past and in to my empty dorm room. Door shut behind me and oh I wanted to kick myself! Now what? I was convinced I’d leave Hollywood a week later without uttering a single word.
Well, turned out one week later I had the time of my life! I made friends with a group of fabulous girls (all solo travellers), met a sexy Italian guy, had a few scandalous nights out with an aspiring actress, joined a Beverly Hills Celebrity Homes tour with this hilarious big, loud British girl never without her hip flask, partied in a huge limousine, rode the bull in the bar from Sex & the City, went to salsa-dancing classes with the coolest girl in Santa Monica, got lost and rescued in the Hollywood hills by the 2 most hunkiest (and topless) looking men ever..
Limousine night
Wisteria Lane from Desperate Housewives
I gained more self-confidence in those 7 days than I thought was possible. I felt free, refreshed, uplifted. There’s something about making friends and connecting with strangers that is so exhilarating. Thinking back to that first day, it seems so silly that I was ever even conscious of what other people thought. Now I hugely enjoy dining on my own and think that travelling solo is by far the best way to travel and explore somewhere new. Everyone should try it, atleast once. After L.A., I am definitely hooked!
What was your first solo travel experience like? 🙂
