The solitary traveller

She’s been travelling for seven weeks now, she’s seen many waves, then her friends who initially went with her left. To further prolong her stay she started to work on a farm, also known as WOOFING. “You work for free, you live there for free – it’s a pretty simple thing. And I really loved it.” Her camping van “Eddie” is still filled with goods from the farm: apples, nuts and fruits and vegetables – all organic. “It was an interesting time there, working with the farmers, getting up early everyday – or like that one time when the neighbour caught a wild boar and we had it for dinner. It’s out of the usual, it’s a different perspective on a country than just visiting in the usual way of going from place to place.”

“Most people tend to stay as long as possible – it’s just different from person to person how long is possible and what means possible…” she continues and might either mean the fact that she’s traveling alone or that she just can’t stay forever money wise . Concerning money she’s convinced a camper van surely is the easiest and cheapest mean of travel: ”It’s simple: you don’t have that much with you – so not much can hold you back. I have a a little pot to shower, I can cook in my van, I’m pretty independent that way. I would miss something if wasn’t on this journey. See: No matter where you are – you have your terrace there all the time… with ocean view!”

And being alone is the other thing others would probably enjoy less than her. Milena let herself fall into a time hole – weeks just passed by somehow. When the weather was good time flew by even more so. Sometimes she read all day in the bus, went surfing, read again and suddenly it was night. “Time flies by slower and faster at the same time when you’re alone… Yesterday for instance I was eating alone in a restaurant, menu del dia for 10 bucks and a single bottle of wine… Nothing spectacular, but the time is more intense when alone, you get to enjoy things more sometimes. And after doing some journeys alone for a couple of times and getting to know the disadvantages as the advantages, I would recommend it.”

In the end it’s old wisdom that travelling alone doesn’t mean solitude. In reality you’ll meet lots of people, even more people that ever before. “You’re never really alone when traveling alone… It’s just a starting point. There are always other campers, friendly locals and people you meet by coincidence. And even if I’m travelling alone you are looking for company – and if it is just another bus on a parking lot.”