{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Language & Travel Hacking","title":"Is travelling alone... lonely?","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":613,"description":"In this episode of the Language and Travel Hacking Podcast, I dive into one of the questions I get asked most often: is solo travel lonely? To answer that, I compare two contrasting experiences—my current quiet week in Sulawesi, Indonesia, and a past trip to Ibiza during the off-season. In Sulawesi, I’ve barely interacted with anyone, yet I feel completely content because I chose this solitude after a socially intense week in Borneo. Meanwhile, in Ibiza, I wanted to meet people but couldn’t, and that made it truly lonely. The key difference? Whether connection is accessible when you want it.I’ve found that speaking the local language makes a massive difference in avoiding loneliness—it opens doors to meaningful interactions that many solo travellers miss. These days, I don’t need constant socialising like I did in my early twenties; I’m happy in my own company, but I also know how to make friends quickly when I want to. It’s all about balance, self-awareness, and staying open. I’ll explore the deeper philosophy of loneliness another time, but for now, I hope this episode gives a more practical answer to a question I hear so often.Click here to book a personalised one-on-one language coaching session with meOr you can follow me on all Social Media channels:Instagram: @irishpolyglotThread: @irishpolyglotTikTok: @irishpolyglot","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/pW087txV5RD4roaChfUQLb34lp6izvvp6wBRTMsTI1Y/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9kZjVk/M2JmNmNmN2EzYWFl/ODc3NzkxYTIyZTBi/OTZmMi5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}