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I walked into the airport full of confidence. On all prior trips I had taken it was me who had done the planning, the booking, the taking care of everything. But this time it was different. I located the check in desk, dropped off my luggage, and passed through security. After a stroll around I ordered breakfast from a coffee shop and sat down, and something dawned on me, this was probably the first time I’d even sat and eaten out on my own, and I was about to travel to another city, in another country, all by myself. I proceeded to the gate and boarded the plane. I wasn’t too disappointed with the 30 minute delay waiting for take-off, I savoured the feeling of independence, feeling proud and strong and liberated. I gazed out of the window during take-off and whilst we were in the air, making the most of the lack of company and enjoying the view, barely a cloud in sight, which was unexpected for the UK in April. Upon landing, the first sign I saw from my window was an advertisement for a financial institution, I can’t recall the company it was advertising, that didn’t matter to me. All I saw was ‘New Beginnings, Here I Come’. How apt I thought, this is the beginning of the rest of my life. The few days that followed were not just about romantic thoughts of travel and feelings of empowerment, there were lonely moments too where I missed my previous travel buddy There were also times of fear, thoughts about whether I could do this by myself, and tears in the hotel room when I’d failed to plan properly, messed up my dinner booking due to the language barrier, and ended up having a packet of crisps instead. I’d booked a decent restaurant for the second night, something I had done on previous trips, always wanting to try a mix of both smart and casual restaurants of local cuisine. I was a little perturbed however when directed to my table, which subsequently involved being sat on a raised seat overlooking the other tables in the room. Thankfully there were just a handful of tables as the restaurant was divided into several smaller rooms. Due to it being a smart restaurant I felt uneasy with using my phone or guidebook to pass the time, which I’d read was the thing to do when dining alone. I thought that maybe I should have booked somewhere casual instead, perhaps somewhere where I could have sat at the bar to eat. I found myself listening to the travel stories of the people on the next table, albeit trying to avoid eye contact, fearing they would think me weird. I felt a little sad that I had no one to share my stories with, or to discuss the food. Nevertheless the meal was fabulous and the service was swift, which I was thankful for. Another achievement! I left with my head held high; the feeling of empowerment was uplifting. Exploring a city solo for the first time I noticed more of my surroundings than ever before, with no distraction from a travel companion. All of my senses appeared heightened. Amsterdam’s quirky houses did not seem as colourful as I was expecting from the pictures I remembered, but the lights reflecting on the water at night appeared magical. I even enjoyed the buzz of the streets, with cars, trams, and hundreds of bicycles! As a cautious pedestrian, I soon realised that my hesitation at crossing the road was costing me valuable time, and I soon got braver at crossing the paths of cyclists. Solo travel can be a lonely road at times, when there is no one to share the views with, share the experiences. But it also can also give you the most amazing feelings of strength, excitement and pure happiness. This was my first solo travel experience, and it certainly won’t be my last. Rest of the world, here I come.