u/AverageManushyan

The next few days of the trip were easily the best days of the whole journey.

I will be honest it started with some trial and error. My time at Lub d Phuket was a bit of a mixed bag. I had a few conversations here and there but nothing felt very meaningful. It seemed like most groups were already locked in before I arrived and many of my interactions were met with one word replies so I eventually just steered clear. Facing that along with my fair share of racism on the road was a tough pill to swallow when I was already feeling a bit down.

But then things shifted.

I realized that the hostel common area was not the only place to find my people. I joined a guided tour which turned out to be the absolute highlight of my trip and met an amazing couple from the US. We hit it off so well that we ended up having a beautiful lunch together the next day.

I also connected with a woman from France who was in Thailand for Buddhist teachings. We went kayaking together and she even gave me a framed photo of us as a parting gift. Then there was a guy from Russia working on his scuba license. Having those genuine deep conversations with such beautiful souls changed the entire energy of my trip.

What I learned from my first solo trip is that not every day is a highlight reel. You will face rejection awkward silences and some genuinely tough moments. But those bad days are exactly what make the very good days feel earned. You go home a much more grown person than when you started.

To everyone who left positive comments on my original post thank you. They were so helpful. To those who reached out to meet or expressed concern you guys are incredible. I could not make it happen this time but I hope our roads cross path someday.

And to the few who decided to make me the punchline of their jokes I am glad my misery could provide you with some free entertainment. I hope it was worth the laugh.

Once again thank you everyone. And thank you Thailand. 🇹🇭✌️

I spent four days in Bangkok and the city genuinely blew my mind. It is incredibly well organized with clean roads and infrastructure that feels way ahead of what I expected. But despite how impressive the city is, the silence of traveling alone started hitting hard.

I've been trying to stay busy to outrun the loneliness:

Rajadamnern Stadium: Caught some Muay Thai which was easily the highlight. It was properly organized and the fights were great, but it's a strange feeling to witness something that high octane and have no one to turn to for a "Did you see that?"

Topkart Bangkok: Tried karting there. Between the morning heat and the indifferent staff, it fell pretty flat.

The River: Taking the boat from Asiatique to Phra Arthit was one of the few moments of genuine peace.

The recurring theme? Everywhere I look, it's groups, couples, and friends. It feels like I'm watching a movie I wasn't cast in.

I figured maybe a change of scenery and a more social environment would fix it. I flew down to Phuket and checked into Lub d Patong, opting for a hostel vibe to finally break the ice.

Instead, I've been sitting in and around the pool area for three hours now and the wall is still up. People are already locked into their groups or they're completely buried in their phones and laptops.

It's making me wonder if it is a me problem. Am I trying too hard? I see stories of solo travelers who find their gang within five minutes of landing and I'm sitting here considering moving my May 7th flight up just to head home early.

To those of you who actually manage to find your people out here, RESPECT..