BRUNETTE JETSET

PRETENDING TO BE BRAVE, ONE SOLO ADVENTURE AT A TIME

  • HOME
  • BLOG
  • ABOUT ME
  • WHERE I’VE BEEN
  • BUCKET LIST

Beijing Trip: Solo Doesn’t Mean Alone

November 5, 2014 || Leave a Comment

I was rather apprehensive when I arrived in Beijing. My 14 hour flight had turned my brain into mush and I now had to make my way onto the Airport Express train and a subway with a backpack that my nonexistent muscles did NOT want to carry. Before this trip, at least five people called me brave – a word that has never been applied to me before. Aside from wanting this trip to teach me about myself, I had something to prove – my first solo trip couldn’t be a disaster! Could I really do this by myself?! I would soon learn that solo doesn’t mean alone, and sometimes I would be able to count on the support of others.

Luckily, my first day went off without a hitch. I used a Mandarin ATM, got to my hostel with no injuries, and was feeling pretty proud! My conference in Beijing had a social event that night near the Olympic Stadium, so I attempted to become presentable and managed to stay for about 45 minutes before literally falling asleep standing up.

IMG_2675

I went to bed around 7PM, which seems like a great plan on your first night in a foreign city. In the morning I had my first taste of making friends while solo! A Chinese guy staying in my hostel invited me to tag along for a traditional Chinese breakfast. We went somewhere completely Mandarin and unintelligible to me – I couldn’t have ordered anything without a Mandarin speaker. This picture is terrible because I was trying to be surreptitious – difficult when you’re the only Westerner around and people find you fascinating.

IMG_2674

My next realization that solo doesn’t mean alone came after the first day of my conference: I made a friend for the trip to the Silk Market! Another Nova Scotian was solo in Beijing, so I tagged along with him.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Although I’m not a particularly nice person, I tend to be way overly polite toward strangers – especially pushy salespeople who have a tight grip on my arm and are yelling at me. This very specific situation obviously occurred at the market, and I was happy to have a friend there to drag me away! Regardless of the terrifying workers, I got a GoPro selfie stick for 115RMB (about $22) and a “North Face” jacket for 175RMB ($32)! I was sorely tempted to buy a “Chanel” purse and many other fun things, but I was sadly on a budget.

My final, and most exciting, experience in the wonders of making friends while travelling solo occurred on my way to the Great Wall of China. Look out for a whole post (and tons of pictures!) on the marvels that are the Wall, but suffice it to say I had an awesome day with awesome new friends!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

As for these friends, I decided to brave the trek to Mutianyu in the name of saving money. I tried to get on what I thought was the right bus, only to be screamed at in Mandarin for no clear reason. A group of 15 young Tunisians in the same situation realized we were in the wrong spot, and they grabbed me so we could get on the departing bus! They took me under their wing and we ended up spending the whole day together. It was only a few hours in that they realized I was also there for Enactus – can you say coincidence?

The Great Wall was mindblowing, and I’m so glad I spent the day with some rambunctious, welcoming, hard-core negotiators. It sure made for a lot of great stories! Also supplied me with people to take my picture 😉

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Needless to say, this trip taught me dozens of lessons. One of them was most certainly that solo doesn’t mean alone! It’s almost easier to make friends and travel buddies when you’re alone, and even the shyest of the shy (me) will certainly manage. Don’t let a fear of being alone stop you from travelling alone – you never know who you’ll meet and what you’ll do!

Have you travelled solo? Do you agree that solo doesn’t mean alone?

Related

Filed Under: Asia, China

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Follow

About Me!

I started travelling solo in university, and at 24 I've been to six continents and 57 countries.

Now I'm managing a travel agency and constantly planning my next trips.

I'm Bethany - come follow my misadventures around the world!

Next trips:
April 2020 Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand
June 2020 Peru
November 2020 Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay

Subscribe to my mailing list

* indicates required
Choose what you want to receive:
Today I woke up missing India (??) And am trying t Today I woke up missing India (??) And am trying to remind myself that I cried three times on this specific day lol
No other photo accurately captures how thrilled I No other photo accurately captures how thrilled I am about the first woman vice president!!! And the fact that there won't be a racist homophobic bigot running our neighbor!! I can finally go visit post-pandemic!!
Constantly buried under a pile of books 📘 Thes Constantly buried under a pile of books 📘

These are all the books I bought in October (oops) and there's a video on my YouTube channel talking about them all now 🥰
Am I so obsessed with the colours in our backyard Am I so obsessed with the colours in our backyard that I set up a tripod to take this picture? Yes 😉
We carved the pumpkin on the left into a cat speci We carved the pumpkin on the left into a cat specifically for Luna's sake so it's safe to say we are crazy cat parents now 😂
Unemployment adventures with @emma_m_ryan 🥰 Unemployment adventures with @emma_m_ryan 🥰
I've always dreamed of opening a bookstore/coffee I've always dreamed of opening a bookstore/coffee shop combo and today I discovered that my dream already exists in downtown Halifax 🥰🥰🥰
I am definitely not just holding a club for the ph I am definitely not just holding a club for the photo

Top Posts

  • The Perfect Itinerary for a Month in Morocco (Part One)
    The Perfect Itinerary for a Month in Morocco (Part One)
  • The Perfect Itinerary for a Month in Morocco (Part Two)
    The Perfect Itinerary for a Month in Morocco (Part Two)
  • Alone in the Most Dangerous Neighborhood in Medellin
    Alone in the Most Dangerous Neighborhood in Medellin
  • Stories from Morocco: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
    Stories from Morocco: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
  • Living the High Life in Lake Como and Switzerland
    Living the High Life in Lake Como and Switzerland
  • The Worst Things I did in India
    The Worst Things I did in India

WHERE I’VE BEEN

World Map Placeholder
World Map

And Beyond Theme by The Suitcase Designs