Going Solo: Lessons from India
- Reece Willis
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
There’s something special about travelling alone. For many, the idea of venturing out solo into a foreign country like India can feel daunting, even overwhelming. When you’re with someone you’re familiar with, you have each other to bounce off; to throw ideas at one another, to share the memories; the highs and lows. But in solitude, you only have yourself to rely on; at times that can feel very isolating but at the same time we often find something far more profound than what we initially seek.
When I first arrived in India in 1996, the plan was simple: spend a hundred nights with a friend. The excitement was like nothing I’d ever experienced. That first week was exhilarating – all the vivid chaos of the streets, the kaleidoscope of colours and smells, the feeling that I’d stepped into the pages of a book I couldn’t put down. But when my friend left me alone, I found myself in a dark place with the tough decision to sink or swim. I will be forever grateful I found the strength and courage to swim.
As a child, I spent a lot of time on my own. I often wandered the streets to escape local bullies, hiked alone through the hills of Wales, got lost in Cornwall. I’d visit my grandparents in Belgium and spend hours adventuring solo through Oostende. Perhaps all of that prepared me - not just to travel alone, but to embrace solitude as a space for healing and growth.
There was heartbreak I needed time and space to process. It was far from easy, and at first, so much of my energy was consumed with the fear of the unknown. India is not an easy place to travel for the first timer. The extremes make every step feel like an uphill struggle. The country throws heat, crowds, contradiction and beauty at you, often all at once. However, once you get used to it all, and you realise there is a way to make life so much easier for yourself by accepting what you can’t control, stop fighting the chaos - things become easier. You learn to go with the flow.
I vividly remember those early days – exhausted and emotionally raw – when I’d finally find a hotel room, collapse onto the bed and breathe a sigh of relief, never wanting to venture out again. It was in those hotel rooms I felt the most comfort with myself, of being at one with my thoughts. I could listen to myself without interference, plan wildly and enjoy a freedom of choice that was totally liberating. There is a beauty in solitude that is hard to explain. Maybe it’s the fact that certain things are forced upon you, puzzles that only you can solve, the noise in your head that only you can quiet. And the space. For in the tiniest of corners, there is an abundance of freedom that only your own mind can decipher.
I met many incredible people along the way – brief companions, fleeting friendships, some lasting a day, others a week. But time and again, I chose to be alone. Not out of loneliness, but out of desire. I found that I needed to drive my own journey forward with only my thoughts as company, to discover new paths and adventures through my own making.
These days, I mostly travel with my wife, and we have amazing adventures. We get lost together, and it's beautiful. In her I found my forever friend, someone I can one hundred percent trust. But even now, I still spend a considerable amount of time on my own. Whether it’s going for long walks with my dog or drifting through my own thoughts, I believe it is important to have that time to allow my mind to wander, to be free, for me to be me, and be reminded of what it is to be truly human.
