How Lonely Is Too Lonely?

A big concern and topic of conversation when it comes to solo travel is loneliness. There are countless blog posts about how to combat loneliness, how to make friends, how to appear less lonely (because it's not only off-putting, but can make you more vulnerable) or how to deal with loneliness when it strikes. A lot of people are hesistant to even attempt a solo trip because they're so terrified of being lonely!

Think about it, one of the biggest publishers of travel guides is called Lonely Planet! There's no denying travel can get lonely.

Turns out this fear might not be so unwarranted. According to this recent study, we're hardwired to not want to be isolated because loneliness can kill us over time.

Knowing that now, does it make you more reluctant to travel on your own?

For me, it was never really a concern, so I wonder if I'm missing something biologically. Maybe solo travelers have a defect? Either that or there are degrees of loneliness and isolation, and what can be too isolating and lonely for one person might feel like a loud party to another. What do you think?

Vagabundo Travel Magazine Review

When I'm not traveling, I'm daydreaming about, planning or saving up for another trip. So aside from scouring travel sites, I have quite the Lonely Planet guide book collection:

No offense to Lonely Planet, but it's nice to have something a bit different to read now and then, so I jumped at the chance when offered a free copy of Vagabundo Travel Magazine.

I flipped through it in two ways: I downloaded the .pdf and viewed it on my Kindle and on my computer. There is a Kindle version offered, but only for certain countries and Canada isn't one of them. I wanted to see how versatile the layout was, since I figured it was geared for people on the go.

On my Kindle, I changed my view mode to landscape and I found the pictures stunning, even in black and white. They are, of course, even more amazing in colour on a computer screen. That's probably what stands out for me most at first - the photography is high-quality and it's just a beautiful magazine to look at.

The articles are a good mix of down-to-earth interviews and great story-telling, without being pretentious. A lot of travel writers start sounding a little holier-than-thou with the exclusive places they've been, but this mag is a refreshing change of real people telling real stories and all the awe and angst that go along with travel.

This is their very first issue, so it can only get more amazing from here, but I would offer a few suggestions. The text sometimes gets a little lost (and in one case, even eclipsed) by the excellent photography, so it's just a layout issue that needs to be sorted. What can I say though, stop including such great photography? That's hardly a fault!

My other recommendation is charge more, because at $1.49 USD it's an absolute steal! Seriously, they could charge more for it, so get it now before they come to their senses!

Note: In case anyone is interested and if you can actually read this small print, I received no compensation for this review, nor will I in the future and my issue was provided for free. I am writing this out of the kindness of my heart :)