I Miss Exploring Places On My Own

When I wrote the article I Miss Getting Lost in a New City, there were so many things I missed doing when I was solo traveling.

The last time I did my solo travel was when I flew from Cebu to Hong Kong, to Munich, and the last stop was in the Netherlands. My husband picked me up at the airport and drove us to France.

Since then, I never had the chance to explore on my own. I arrived here pregnant. We are a family. Now, we have two kids.

The only convenience when we travel is that we have a car and I have a driver, my husband.

I miss taking the train on my own

In Cebu, Philippines, we don't have a train. I tried taking the MRT in Manila but it's not very convenient. When I was in Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Taiwan, the train ride was very convenient. Everything is clean. It was so easy to visit tourist spots. By the time you get out of the train station, it is just a few meters away to walk.

The train I took from Narita airport went to Motoyawata station and I needed to change trains afterward.

I am here in France. I've been to Spain. But I never tried taking the train to a European country, alone. We travel by car, all the time. I have never explored Paris on my own. So my husband is my driver and my tour guide. Hehe!

I miss doing my research

When I was traveling alone, I did my research on which places I wanted to visit. But when my husband was my boyfriend, he was my tour guide and driver in Phuket so he knew which places to go.

Urban Pack Hostel in Hong Kong where I stayed

I like to search for the cheapest hostel in the area. I don't go to hotels because I can't afford them. But if there's a promo, I grabbed it.

I love creating itineraries and searching for how to get to this certain tourist spot. I have to find out if the entry is free or if there's a certain fee so that I can budget my daily travel.

I miss taking street photography and solo walk

That's me doing street photography in Saitama, Japan

What I love doing alone is taking many photographs around me. I love to walk around with my camera and be alone. I have the time to explore the area and take photos. So I don't need to be in a hurry and rush to a new location. I just chill. I can buy something to drink and sit around the corner. Observe and watch people. I love it like that.

I miss doing my food trip

When I do my solo walk and street photography, I also get hungry. So, I just explored the neighborhood to see if there was a restaurant nearby. I have to check the price. If the budget fits, I eat there.

My Sushi food trip in the streets of Bangkok, Thailand

But it's more fun if you're lucky you are in the street market. Taiwan and Thailand have several street markets so it is expected that there are people selling food. Everywhere you go, there's a lot of food.

Thailand is much of a food trip haven. You'll never go wrong traveling to Thailand alone. It's more fun when you are with friends. But it's mostly fun when you meet other travelers from different nationalities. Be a social butterfly.

I miss the smell of the airport

I remember when I was a frequent traveler, I loved being in the airport. I have to be early at the airport because I don't want to be late. I love watching people inside the airport. I love looking at my passport even though it is just local travel. I am just so proud to show my passport to the flight personnel, "Hey, I have so many travel stamps on my passport!"

I love the giddy feeling when I pass by the Philippine immigration and am confident that I am traveling to a new country. When they saw my passports with several travel stamps, they just let me go no questions asked. Bliss!

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