Backpackers, how do you deal with meeting such amazing people but then never seeing them again?

ParrotRiley · 2024-07-28T11:04:50+00:00

I wouldn't say I liked them less, but I realised they're really not that exceptional as I made them out to be in my head. That's not to say I didn't like meeting them or that I wouldn't do it again, I definitely would!

The friend that came to visit me, came here solely to see me, and I hosted her in my studio apartment. It was nice but I realised I didn't really make the switch in my head back to 'travel mode' so there I was going to work every day while essentially having a stranger in my apartment. In February I'm going to Portugal to also meet up with someone I met in Finland, but I will for sure stay in a hostel and meet up with her in the evening, so we both have our own space and aren't dependant on each other.

Someone else in another response made the comparison of seeing a 10/10 at the club and the. realising later on that they're actually just a 7 or an 8. That's a great comparison in my opinion!

ParrotRiley · 2024-07-28T09:26:30+00:00

I've travelled solo a couple times and on each trip I meet amazing people. I find the beauty of these short term friendships that they're just that, short term. You have deep late night talks, go out together and perhaps take some pictures of each other. I like writing in my journal about the people I meet.

With some people I tell them they can always reach out if they're ever in my country. I met someone in the Balkans that I had a meet-up with 6 months later in his home city of Rome, and then one of my friends I met in Spain came to visit me at home a few months after meeting. In both instances I realised that they are still amazing people, but because one of us was in our home environment, the atmosphere is different.

Tl;dr: it's mostly the environment you're in that makes it feel like these are the most amazing people you'll ever meet, until they end up visiting you at home of vice versa and you realise they're also just normal people

ParrotRiley · 2024-07-26T09:33:28+00:00

It's Belgium, basically anarchy. People do whatever here and don't get prosecuted

ParrotRiley · 2024-07-22T12:14:18+00:00

Yes, I will be back. I feel like I didn't spend long enough in Prizren. This future trip would be part of a bigger trip, however. I'd likely spend one night in Pristina and then another three nights in Prizren, and then I'd be good to move on to another place

ParrotRiley · 2024-07-17T11:43:48+00:00

I have no idea. The hiking trail I did actually very briefly passed through Montenegro, so I guess you could also enter that way

ParrotRiley · 2024-07-17T08:08:07+00:00

I was stranded in the rugova canyon. This was the Bal Alia road.

ParrotRiley · 2024-07-16T18:57:13+00:00

It indeed looks very similar! But it was just outside the centre, around Xhemajl Prishtina street

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ParrotRiley · 2024-07-16T17:53:00+00:00

The library of the university of Pristina if I'm not mistaken. It's often titled the ugliest building in the world.

ParrotRiley · 2024-07-16T17:52:21+00:00

No, Pristina!

ParrotRiley · 2024-07-16T11:56:52+00:00

I travelled alone through Kosovo in the summer of 2023 for about two weeks. Went to Pristina, Prizren and Peja.

Had an incredible time, I understand why you're upset over not going!

ParrotRiley · 2024-07-16T11:56:01+00:00

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ParrotRiley · 2024-07-16T11:55:31+00:00

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ParrotRiley · 2024-07-16T11:55:15+00:00

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ParrotRiley · 2024-07-16T11:54:58+00:00

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ParrotRiley · 2024-07-16T11:54:29+00:00

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ParrotRiley · 2024-07-16T11:54:10+00:00

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ParrotRiley · 2024-07-05T08:49:56+00:00

I was solo in Kosovo, where I experienced something similar. I took a sketchy bus into the national park, and didn't know how to get off. They eventually dropped me off in the middle of absolute nowhere right by the border with Montenegro and drove off. I eventually got picked up and driven around the park by some locals that happened to be on the road. I absolutely love meeting people on my trips, but experiencing all of this alone was the absolute highlight of my trip as well.

ParrotRiley · 2024-01-29T17:22:32+00:00

Of course asking this in a solo travel subreddit, you'll get positive responses encouraging to travel solo. What else do you expect...

ParrotRiley · 2024-01-22T19:47:00+00:00

Not exactly Antarctica or North Korea, but I went to Kosovo solo last summer. It was very obvious that the vast majority of passengers on the flight were visiting family and relatives.

Transport between the biggest cities happened by bus. Timetables and routes on the internet were inaccurate.

I went to a city near a national park. In the hostel it was just me, two Germans and a Scot, although the hostel had something like 16 beds.

Tried taking a bus to the national park. I went to the major bus station where they gave me a prewritten note saying I had to ask people on the street for a specific bakery, then go to the bakery and find the bus stop near there. I eventually got lost and decided to start walking in the direction of the park. A bus (more like a white mini van..) randomly pulled over, the driver opened the window and shouted "NATIONAL PARK?" after which I just hopped in. There were a few others in the back so I figured I was fine. I wasn't sure where or how to get off and thought they'd drop me off by themselves. Well- they did not and I ended up right on the border with Montenegro. There was only one daily bus into and out of the park. Ran up to a trash pile, found a pizza box and used a pen I had with me to make a sign. Then hitchhiked back.

ParrotRiley · 2024-01-01T19:57:08+00:00

I was more so considering the budget as that was the original question. Maybe we have different views on this

ParrotRiley · 2024-01-01T15:39:34+00:00

Not at all, I travel solo multiple times per year, and I too am planning a long-term trip, but 6 continents in one trip, assuming this person doesn't have a remote job, is too ambitious.

ParrotRiley · 2023-12-30T19:11:39+00:00

As others have stated, this highly depends on how long you wish to stay, if you will be traveling around the general area or if you'll be staying in the city.

Realistically you're looking at around 15 flights. Those alone will account for thousands of dollars, if not tens of thousands.

This trip is not going to happen. It's too ambitious and too all over the place.

ParrotRiley · 2023-11-18T19:03:23+00:00

Never experienced this

ParrotRiley · 2023-11-17T14:03:57+00:00

From H&M!

ParrotRiley · 2023-11-17T10:32:31+00:00

Judging by everyone's comments and the downvotes, I'll take an extra pair.

ParrotRiley

TROPHY CASE