I was initially quite nervous to write this post, mainly because I don’t really want to encourage women to travel by themselves, and I’m no expert on traveling in general. My solo-travel journey was something unplanned, and I was on a tight budget (you can only get so far with a stipend of €1,000 a month.) However, I’m glad to have this experience under my belt and by the end of it, I was proud of myself for achieving something that I could’ve never imagined myself doing to begin with.
It was Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Spain. This is the last week of lent that leads up to Easter. If you’ve ever lived or have been in Spain during Semana Santa, you’ll notice major streets being closed off while the Catholic Church performs processions of penance (I’ll include a video somewhere in this post.) As an English assistant, I got the entire week off. Everyone I knew already either had travel plans or family coming into town, and I was not about to spend a full week stuck in my tiny apartment bedroom. Therefore, I went online to find cheap(ish) bus fares to anywhere else in Spain that wasn’t the city I was living in, Madrid. Malaga caught my interest, and more specifically, a town about an hour away called Nerja was one that I ended up choosing.
There was a super cute hostel that I stayed for two nights in called the Charming Nerja Hostel, which is about a 10-12 minute walk from a bus stop that will take you to the main bus station. From Madrid, I took a 3-4 hour bus ride to Malaga, and from there, I had to get another bus ticket and ride for about another hour to Nerja. Overall, the bus fares for one way was roughly €20ish, so super affordable. It’s such a cute and quiet town, and the beaches here are so beautiful.
I was very nervous for many reasons. For one, I was traveling by myself in a foreign country, didn’t know my way around the area, and have never stayed in a hostel with strangers before. I had never even been to that major bus station in Madrid and it was pretty confusing navigating my way through, so for an introvert like me, it was nerve-wracking to speak up and ask multiple strangers how to get around.
I was initially intimidated to even walk into the hostel and get myself situated. I was on the top bunk and shared a room with at least 6 others. For someone who *has* to have their space, I was uncomfortable at first, but willing to open up and meet/hang out with other travelers.
I was compelled to look at the hostel’s Facebook website to search for any community posts or group chats on WhatsApp that I could join. Thankfully, I found one, and by that evening, I met other people who were from other countries in Europe and ended up having so much fun enjoying drinks together and walking through the town. As a solo-traveler, it’s vital to be open to meeting strangers and diverging from your itinerary. There are some cons to solo traveling though, in my opinion, such as having to ask strangers to take your photo while you’re out exploring. I didn’t think to do this at all, and I’m sad to say I don’t even have any photos of myself in Nerja, not even selfies.
I’m so thankful that I landed upon the hostel I stayed at when I did the little research that I did for this impulsive trip. It was about a 5 minute walk to the beaches, and Mirador del Bendito is a viewpoint leading up to them in the central area of Nerja that is both quaint yet a hot spot for tourists. The good thing about solo traveling is that you can do literally anything you want without having to check with others first. When I woke up in Nerja, I got to take my time getting ready, stop by a local bakery for breakfast, and pack my things to head to the beach, which I spent all day there. It is without a doubt one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever been to. No trash in sight and everyone keeps to themselves.
Not gonna lie, I was definitely having a main character moment for those couple of days. I got to walk from where I was staying to the beach, listen to music and lay on the beach the whole day, and even enjoy dinner with a new friend I made that night! She was another American who practically travels for a living and we shared so many stories together. That was one of the highlights of my trip for sure.
All in all, would I recommend solo traveling? Absolutely! As an introvert, I was impressed with myself that I was able to put myself out there as much as I did. It was kind of scary, however, being alone at times. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t subject to cat-calling every now and then, but overall I felt really safe; mainly because I was surrounded by other tourists. The key is staying alert, holding your belongings close to you at all times, and remaining confident in how/where you’re walking, even if you secretly have no idea where you’re going. It’s worth it to make friends and makes for great storytelling! Not many people get the opportunity to solo travel, so I’m thankful for this experience and was really happy with myself to have done it in the first place. Let me know in the comments where you’ve ever traveled to alone! Now for our tarot card of the week!
On Wednesday, the 7th of March 2023, there was a full moon in Virgo and Saturn entered Pisces. The last time Saturn was in Pisces was in 1993-1996. For Aquarius, Leo, Taurus, and Scorpio placements, I believe that Saturn will ease up on them a bit. For those now going through their Saturn return (natal Saturn in Pisces peeps), have you been putting in the work? Your Saturn return is your astrological “coming of age”. Harsh lessons subside once you’ve mastered how to work through internal challenges and learn how to take full accountability. The planet of responsibility and determination rewards those who have been keeping to themselves and working hard. I believe that spirit threw The Ace of Pentacles at me since Saturn has left my second house in whole sign (same applies to my other Capricorn risings). That means, harsh lessons with money will subdue and financial opportunities are on their way. The earth energy of Pentacles is very practical, and its themes embody wealth and material gain. As a collective, we’re ready for new beginnings, and welcome abundance with open arms. Efforts are about to be rewarded.
I hope one day we can learn more of your travels. I love reading every post and you put so much life into everything I absolutely love it.
Aw I love and appreciate you so much! <3 thanks for the read, I try to make them as entertaining as I can 🙂