I started my second working holiday year in Australia without any traveling companion or friends to hang out with. That year has been my biggest solo travel experience this far, and I can assure that I was nervous. How can one find friends? Am I condemned to a year of loneliness? In this post, I will share my personal experiences about my working holiday year in Australia and tell how I found friends.
Even though this post is mainly about Australia, you can use almost all of these tips on any solo travel. Hostels are the number one spots in Australia to meet other travelers. Spend some time in finding a good place that has the right ambiance for you. Other hostels are good for finding party people, other places are better for finding long deep conversations. I prefer booking a bed in a small dorm of 4β6 people because then I feel it easier to get to know my roommates. Several hostels organize pub crawls, and they are great places to meet new people.
I know that it can be a bit awkward to make up some small talk in the beginning but after a glass of wine, it will get easier. They also often have paid staff there with you to make sure that everyone is having a good time. They can really make or break your experience. Just follow your intuition and listen to your gut feeling.
If a person feels weird, he or she probably is. We made dinners together and had endless talks about life and relationships. I miss those lovely girls! Nothing brings people together like working on a farm, especially if the farm is located in the middle of nowhere. You spend time together marveling the stars, talk endless hours without the distraction of social media, play music and sit next to a bonfire.
You work together, cook together, wash your laundry together, spend your days off together. In just a couple of weeks, you become this one big close-knitted family.
