I've been to foreign countries on my own, backpacking, city stops, to festivals which gets very lonely. Often I can't get anyone from home to come with me, or it's festival abroad with bands that they're not into, but I just have to go when I get the urge. The thing is I'm pretty damn shy and introverted which is a bad combination for solo traveling, but it's always worth it and I like the freedom. People make out that it's easy to meet people when you're backpacking, that everyone becomes your friend in hostels. In my experience it isn't that way, occasionally you'll get lucky and meet someone cool to hang around with, but most of the time it's very hit or miss, most people are in groups or couples. Also when you're lacking extroverted traits it's difficult to just buddy up everywhere you go, and being shy on top of that I find it so draining and overwhelming.

Luckily - sort of a a consolation - I'm very independent and comfortable with doing things on my own. I'm sure that if I didn't have this streak I would never solo travel. It does get lonely at times though. Occasionally I'll meet people, but more often it's a struggle and I've had whole trips where I barely spoken to anyone. Nevertheless all the times I've done this it's been so damn worth it - just being somewhere new, actually living, not just going through the routine back in my hometown. If anything I love the pure freedom. I can do anything. I can walk for 7hrs exploring whatever city I'm in, watching the world go by just getting lost and finding my way back. It does get lonely, particularly at night but again sometimes there's something powerful about experiencing loneliness in it's raw(er) state. It's not nice at first but it forces you to come to terms with yourself, you can't get away with the self-loathing or you'd break down straight away.