Mera falsafaa
kandhe pe mera basta
Chala main jahaan
le chala mujhe rasta
(My philosophy is to carry my bags over my shoulder and start going wherever the roads take me)
These lyrics of Ilahi, from the movie Yeh Jawaani Hain Deewani capture the essence of every solo traveller’s journey. One that starts with minimally packed bags, but returns heavier with souvenirs — not just materialistic ones, but the conversations, and memories. Sometimes, these memories are the curvy lanes, sunsets, and sunrises, and bonds that stayed even after the long stretches of roads and travel ended.
The journey is never simply about the destinations and striking them off the bucket list. It’s also about the strangers who become friends, fleeting interactions that leave an impression, and moments spent together that cut across borders. These connections made out of trust and curiosity have become a treasured aspect of many travelogues.
From first hellos…
Vigneshwari Murugan, a senior software engineer, recalls one of the cherished connections when she was a seven-year-old. “I used to buy flowers for my mom’s shop and travel by bus. One day, a stranger on the bus called me brave, and it felt special because people usually called me beautiful or silly, but never brave. She got off at the same stop as me and invited me to her home. I don’t even know why I went, but she made me feel comfortable, and that became a positive start for me,” she says.
Since then, Vigneshwari travelled across the country embracing new horizons with the same fearless curiosity, feeding on friendships and stories that continue to shape her. Similar to Rani from Queen, Vigneshwari travels not to prove anything to the world but to herself. “When you’re travelling solo, “you find yourself”, as everyone says, and it also pushes you to step out of your comfort zone. You meet people you might never cross paths with otherwise. Some of those strangers can turn into lifelong friends,” she remarks.
Adding to this, Thushara Ann Mathew, a radio jockey, shares, “The fact that you’re away from home and out of your comfort, gives you more reasons to go find a friend. You will be surprised at the stories you get from them.”
…to forever connections
Narrating his new account of friendship, Krishnaraj R, a photographer, says, “On Day 3 of my first-ever solo trip to Kanniyakumari, I met Ajay, a fisherman from Nagercoil. Looking at me holding a camera, he approached me and asked about me and if I was coming from Chennai. We had a brief conversation, and we parted ways.” In that conversation, Ajay found solace in a stranger.
He narrates a story that he often revisits. “Once, when he [Ajay] and his brother were in the ocean, fishing. Back home, on land, their father died. The brothers couldn’t attend the funeral because it would take them a week to reach home. After hearing the news, they sat in a corner crying, but the other members on the boat went on with their lives and work. That moment hit me. People around him did not try to provide him comfort, but as an unknown person, I craved to give him that. That is how our friendship started.”
In the next three months, Ajay and Krishnaraj visited each other’s homes during festivals and celebrations, taking their bond beyond just an interaction. Krishnaraj shares, “Yes, there are differences in the world. Even people around you are different — speaking different languages, following different religions, consuming different cuisines — but at the core, they are all the same. They need human connection to thrive.” Don’t we all? Isn’t human connection the invisible thread that keeps us together?
Similarly, Prarthana Manoj, program coordinator at Prakriti Foundation, found herself when she was wandering the streets of Puducherry. She recalls, “I met a girl and we instantly started talking about the most mundane things, to the work-life stress. I was going through a difficult phase when I went there, and there is this one thing that she told me that still stays — She said, “You are here. You exist, and maybe that’s enough for now.” I hadn’t had anyone tell me such a thing in a while. As clichéd as it sounded, it was something I wanted to hear at that time.”
Prarthana goes on to add, “Sometimes you meet people and the most unexpected things happen. I also agree that it’s a privilege to find such friendships. And the safety of sisterhood you find in solo travelling is something else, I must say.”
These bonds are not necessarily life-changing or educational. Sometimes it is just a shared moment. Like Timothy C Mathew, marine engineer, who just wanted to “otta mind” ( a phrase that Malayalis use, meaning no second thought). He met a girl at the same hostel in Puducherry where he was staying. “While enjoying the common area of the hostel, we met and introduced ourselves. We talked about a lot of things, one of which was meeting strangers during solo trips. She was also travelling solo for the first time. She was vegan, and through her, I got to know the difference between vegetarian and vegan that day,” he admits.
Blurred borders
Sometimes it is going the extra mile just so that a new page is turned to tell a story. Thushara’s tour guide, Engin in North Cyprus, took a detour just because she wanted to visit a beach. She shares, “I remember telling him how much I love beaches, and he went out of his way to make sure we took a detour to go and visit one of the beaches that was not a part of the initial tour.”
If not for him, Thushara wouldn’t have known half the stories about North Cyprus that she knows today. “He served in the military for some time before retiring, and then, for the love of nature and history, he chose to become a tour guide. His personal stories about the Cypriots, Turkey taking over, and their culture are the most special thing I got out of it,” she adds.
Sometimes, it is learning about new cultures and practices. Like Thushara, Vigneshwari had a similar experience. “During one of my trips to Kedarnath, I met a group of guys from Assam and spent almost three days with them. They wore a special shawl that was a symbol of their pride, and they draped it over my shoulders as a sign of respect that made me feel truly honoured,” she notes. She was later invited to weddings of friends she made during her trips to Kaigal Falls and Kashi.
Vigneshwari adds, “Friendships formed during travel start with trust. You depend on strangers for safety, guidance, and companionship. Unlike daily life, where bonds grow slowly, travel friendships form quickly and intensely because you share unique experiences and moments you can’t recreate.” She also mentions that these friendships don’t need much personal details, probably just your name and where you are from. “Yet, they trust, talk, spend time with me, share their food, and even take me to places. That kind of bond is different from friendships back home,” she says. On these bonds, Krishnaraj adds, “We make connections as we find comfort in them, and those bonds are beautiful because there is no judgment or prejudice.”
Friendships are woven into the fabric of everyday life. Time and distance do not curb the shared laughter and memories, but remind us that the journey is as much about people as it is about destinations, as these connections become cherished chapters in the journey called life.