It's okay to be lonely, but don't you dare say that you are alone

Travelers. It is okay to be lonely out there. In fact I guarantee, the feeling will inevitably catch up with you - commonly when something goes wrong, when you're really tired or sick or drunk, or very late at night. And you know what? It's okay. Really.

Part of this journey is learning to be by yourself. Since I've arrived here I have very little time to myself to just really be by myself. I either feel pressured to be social or productive. It's part of how humans are wired, a fact of life.

But even when you feel your loneliest, please please please know that you are not alone. If you read my previous post you know that I had a horrible experience early on in my time here. Throughout that experience I felt horrifically lonely for a lot of reasons, but I would be lying if I said I was alone. I had some marvelous people here and at home who were there for me throughout. I am extremely grateful.

My aunt gave me a small stone that says: "I am NOT alone". I keep it on my bedside table as a defiant reminder that there is always someone somewhere who is with me or thinking about me. I even take solace in the fact that somewhere in the world there is possibly a stranger going through exactly what I am at this very moment. We are connected by that obscure commonality. We are all lost together.

You can be lonely. But you are never alone. <3