– There is something about “pushing the comfort zone”. 36-year-old Anne Kirketeig from Lillehammer is one of those who chooses to holiday alone this year. She is going to Mallorca, where she will spend a short week of her summer holiday. – I think it is very exciting to travel alone. You feel extra independent, she says. She is not alone in this. Travel companies see that more people are booking solo trips. Challenging himself The 36-year-old has traveled alone once before. Three years ago she was in Mexico. She wanted to challenge herself. – I was really terrified, but then it went well. Now Anne prefers to travel alone, although she enjoys being with others. – You get to know people more easily and perhaps discover places you wouldn’t normally do if you travel with more people, she says. INDEPENDENT: Kirkehaug says that with a little trial and error, traveling solo is fine. Photo: @annekirketeig Positive “loneliness” Thomas Hansen is a psychologist and researcher at FHI and Oslo Met. He says that there are many people who appreciate the positive solitude. He believes that solo travel offers a unique opportunity to live in the present without paying attention to anyone but oneself. PSYCHOLOGIST AND RESEARCHER: – Social media has influenced the “timeout”. In a way, you are never alone. Photo: PRIVATE – Most of us may have problems taking the step of traveling alone. It can be associated with loneliness, explains Hansen. He believes that social media may have led to negative experiences of being alone, because you follow what others are doing. But positive “aloneness” differs from loneliness, according to the psychologist. – There are many who find it difficult to be alone without becoming restless and feeling “fomo” – fear of missing out, says Hansen. Challenging singles to travel alone Helene Myhre (25) is behind the Instagram profile @helenemoo, which has 185,000 followers. She is on her third Norwegian holiday alone now. Just before the pandemic put a damper on traveling Norwegians, Helene was on a four-month solo trip to Sri Lanka. She believes it is important to feel the feeling of being alone over time. – You become really observant of the small moments when you are alone, she says. SHARES EXPERIENCES: On Instagram, Myhre shares experiences of “traveling solo” both at home and abroad. Photo: Screenshot / @HELENEMOO Helene Myhre says that she puts her phone away when she eats alone when travelling. She has positive experiences with the situation many fear: – Just eating with meaning! Be fully present when you eat, look out to sea, look at people and be a little observant, she says. Helene now challenges travelers who are waiting for “the right one”: – It is perhaps a bit typical when you are single, that you wait to find a lover before you can travel. But if you want to go out and experience things, you just have to do it, she says. “JUST BEING”: You are forced to make your own choices, and to use your time properly. Or not right, in a way, says Helene. Photo: @helenemoo Solo trip to the “South” The travel companies also notice that more people want to go on a trip to the south alone now. Traveling alone is no longer just “backpacking” with a heavy bag on your back. Gran Canaria, Turkey and Crete are popular destinations, according to travel company TUI. – We have now registered an increasing trend, and this particularly applies to package holidays, with flights and hotels, says Nora Aspengren, communications manager at TUI. THEME TOURS: In the past, TUI organized theme tours. These were popular trips for people traveling alone, says Aspengren. Photo: TUI Marie-Anne Zachrisson, who is head of Ving Norge, has also noticed a tendency for more people to travel alone on training trips now than before: – There are more people who now choose to travel alone to train with others, perhaps go on yoga classes or participate in training weeks, she says. – Like taking a roller coaster, Anne Kirketeig recommends others to go on a solo trip. – I think there will be more and more of it. I think it’s good for people to challenge themselves a bit. Helene Myhre is also clear in her speech: – I cannot recommend it enough. It’s like riding a roller coaster. You’re a little scared at first, but after doing it you want to do it ten more times. A FEW DAYS ON THE ROAD: The solo trip doesn’t have to go far abroad. Photo: @helenemoo Hi, you! Do you have any thoughts on this matter, or do you have any tips for other things I should look at? I’ll be happy for any input!
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Anne (36) vacations alone: - You feel extra independent
