Solo Travel Doesn’t Mean Alone

I’m ready to tell the story of my sprained ankle on my solo trip and reassure you that solo travel doesn’t have to mean unsupported travel.

I did very little planning (so hard for me) and let the trip take me where it wanted. That led to so many serendipitous moments, like finding out that new friends would be in Chiang Mai at the same time as me.

One evening, as we walked through a night market looking for a particular shirt, I spotted one at a stall. I stepped up on a humongous curb to get a closer look. As I turned to tell my friend, I stepped off the curb without looking and straight into a sizable hole in the ground.

My already weak ankle, which hadn’t fully healed since my last ankle adventure, twisted, gave out, and I fell to the ground. The pain was intense, and I thought, “NO, not again!” I was so frustrated with myself, getting hurt at the very start of my seven-week trip.

My friends and the stall owner rushed over and were so caring and compassionate. They helped me up and I leaned on my friend while hopping out of the market to a street where we could find a taxi. We finally made it to the hotel and into my room on the top floor with no elevator. :)

Here’s the exciting part: my friend used to be a physical therapist! She inspected and wrapped up my ankle, they left, and I cried. It was a rough night, and I stayed in the room for a couple of days since I needed to rest. I ordered takeout, and the hotel staff were incredibly kind. I didn’t tell my family or friends right away. Partly because I didn’t want them to worry and partly because I didn’t want to hear the jokes about spraining my ankle AGAIN.

The Best Part of the Story

On the third day, my superhero friends went to a hospital to ask about a crutch, were whisked off on a golf cart without knowing where they were being taken, and brought me the thing that granted me freedom. Being on a crutch limited some of the activities I wanted to do, but it also showed me the best of humanity throughout my trip.

As I changed hotels to one with an elevator, one of the managers hugged me as I left. 🥹 After a few days, my friends headed off and so did I, once I found out two separate friends would be in Kuala Lumpur too.

I was so lucky to have friends to rely on in Thailand. But I also came away knowing that I would not have been abandoned if they hadn’t been there. The stall owner, hotel staff, and people around me were ready to help. If I had truly been stuck, I knew I could have reached out to digital nomad communities too.

You can travel independently without having to feel completely alone when something goes wrong. That is a big part of what I want to create with my first Solo Travel Together experience in Asia: the freedom to have your own adventure, with care and trusted support nearby when you need it.

💛

Reflection Question: What worries you most about traveling somewhere unfamiliar on your own?

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