You expected a lot from your first solo trip. A suntan. Obviously. Getting to know the world a little better. Making new friends. An epic Instagram account. Even a few of those ‘did I just bungee jump naked’ moments that you’ve pledged never to talk about. Ever.

But loneliness? You probably never expected that.

Yet, it’s an experience many solo travellers have. It’s also one we’re least likely to talk about because, let’s face it, what kind of an ungrateful loser would you be if you felt lonely when you’re supposed to be having the time of your life? Or so your thinking goes…

So, you bury the loneliness under a veneer of carefree happiness hoping it will disappear. And sometimes it does, which is great. Other times it starts to fester until you find yourself spending more and more time indoors. You wallow in self-loathing for failing so badly at travelling when everyone else around you seems to be smashing it. Before long, you find yourself on Google browsing the different options for going home. At any cost.

If you’re experiencing a bout of loneliness on the road, shut down the flight search engine and read on. As well as being a perfectly natural emotion, loneliness is also more common than you think. And the best news is, there are plenty of things you can do to stop loneliness ruining your trip. The truth is, you don’t need to be afraid to travel alone. You just need to know how to deal with loneliness when it hits.