The Solo Trip

Ebuwa
Nov 3, 2022
6 min read

Ladies and gentlemen welcome to my blog.

I can imagine you all are aware of the phrase “when life hits” whereas in this case life was lived. Nevertheless, life was also a pain in the ass, as being in your final year of university comes with enormous responsibilities and challenges. We thank God that’s all done and dusted.

My trip to Corfu Greece was towards the end of April and it was booked during the first week of January. In 2022 I was very keen on finding myself and one approach I decided to give more value to "stop awaiting the approval of others to fully do what I desire”.

Travelling is my passion, and it embraces me with much gratitude and happiness.

So, travelling solo was one of the things I had to tick off my bucket list.

Booking the trip earlier allowed me to find cheaper prices for my desired destination but also allowed me to pay in instalments.

As a student money management is your biggest priority because it can get tight! (I am speaking from first-hand experience haha)

That’s the advice I would also give anyone keen to travel, especially travelling on a budget. > book in advance!

Funny enough I wanted to go anywhere so the destination was a random pick. However, I wanted to stay in Europe as there are still so many countries I have not visited. My goal is to explore each continent on its own, although if I have the chance to explore the desired country for a good price. I would go for it!

My passion for travelling was inspired from a young age, my parents always tried to finance at least one holiday every year. Of course, as a child, you are not able to hold on to as many memories as you can as an adult.

Yet I remember being in love with it, I loved being away from home and seeing new places.

Sitting on that plane all by myself.

I would say it is, a mixture of fear and adventurous excitement.

Fear because literally, anything can happen. I travel on my own to Austria all the time but that’s different as I know where I am landing and how the process works.

Travelling to Corfu was an adventure.

Travelling has made me more aware that I have a friendly and welcoming aura that draws people close to me.

Somehow, I always manage to start a conversation with someone, or someone would start a conversation with me, and it would be at the most random places at the airport, on the plane, at the bus station, or in the hotel you name it. I believe that luxury comes along when travelling.

Shoutout to chez

Chez is another black female solo traveller whom I met at the airport in Corfu. We got into a conversation and exchanged the hotel’s name. She booked a transfer from the airport. I didn’t because I thought to myself, I will figure it out once I get to Corfu.

Well, that’s exactly what happened, I figured it out while I was in Corfu because Chez made the generous offer to ask her driver if he could also drop me at her hotel and from there, I made the journey to my hotel which was only a 15 minutes' drive ahead. Not sure how it would have gone without Chez that afternoon. #forevergrateful

Constantly I was overwhelmed with happiness and amazed by how beautiful the island is.

It was my first time on an island, so water was everywhere!

Without Hesitation I showered as soon as I got to the hotel and changed into a baby blue bikini, to dive into the salty, bright blue and cold ocean water.

In the UK, google helped me visualize what I will be witnessing with my eyes. (I won't deny it, I capture the island better)

I also used google maps to pin all the nearby beaches and places I have to see whilst my stay.

Sitting at the beach.

The beach was empty because it was the off-tourist season. I would have never thought it to be so massive. I sat down on the warm sand and was overpowered by my emotions. I craved peace and the beach for so long.

I have just completed my fifth placement at that period and Placement can be draining at times. Because as students we don’t get paid, it gets time-consuming and sometimes we are also not being treated in the best way.

So being there at that specific moment knowing how tough the months before have been, it felt rewarding and relieving.

Ocean waves,

Sun fall, I breathe in and out. Each moment is taken in. I needed this moment to last forever. Time did not matter. I was in the here and now overshadowed by sanity.

Sitting there alone allowed me to reflect on myself, my surroundings, my journey in the United Kingdom, my goals, and my passion for exploring how grateful I am for my family and the people I love.

It was emotional very emotional to point out but it was required. I needed that break, an escape from my common surroundings and regular people.

Breathing the fresh ocean air and walking through the warm sand half-naked felt like a long-desired dream.

I used my tripod to capture moments, which is a great essential for solo travelling!

Corfu People

The people in Corfu are amazing. I never felt different or out of place and neither was I stared down. I was welcomed and my presence was appreciated. I walked into a fish restaurant and the owner decided to give me a kitchen tour, to not only show me what was on the menu but also allowed me try whatever looked potential for my meal. I was welcomed as one of their own and that meant a lot to me. Because living in a world where the colour of your complexion can pollute many mindsets, experiencing things like these felt very refreshing.

Eating at a fresh fish restaurant with an ocean view.

The hotel I stayed in was a family business that hosted me every morning with fresh Greek yoghurt and Greek breakfast. I felt very welcome and not once was treated differently. To them, I was just another happy customer being able to enjoy my holiday on their property. They knew the people around the area very well, so they planned most of my trips such as the boat cruise, and the travels to town.

As I was travelling alone, I always made sure that before the sun went down, I was back in my hotel. I stayed 40 minutes drive from the city. They were no clubs around my area just bars.

When u travel by yourself you always need to be aware of your surroundings and follow your instincts. I would not advise going out during the night by yourself unless you are with a group of people and know the area very well.

I was there for seven days, and I made sure that each day I visit the beach at least once.

To reconnect with myself and my inner being. Documenting my emotions and releasing all the self-guilt and the pressure I have been bottling up for the past months.

Peace felt so nurturing. One of the days I used to let my melanin absorb the sun I didn’t release I was watched by people. I was complemented by a lovely elderly couple. They said that my aura looked so at peace when they saw me at the beach. That I looked so happy and aligned with myself.

True happiness and self-love were found in Corfu <3

Botides

I also got to witness my first botides which is the tradition of throwing large clay jugs filled with water from the balcony in the centre of town. This happens every Holy Saturday marked by the Corfiot’s. Thousands from around the world usually gather around to watch the unique Holy Saturday tradition. The 'botides' tradition symbolises the creation of an 'earthquake-like which occurred following the first Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The clay jugs have a narrow mouth and two handles on the side for carrying. It is believed that the custom would help ward off bad spirits. It was amazing to witness this special day for the people of Corfu. After the smashing of the clay jugs everyone was drinking and celebrating the day. It was a pleasure to witness such a tradition, and no it was not planned.