Are you a free spirit looking to branch out and travel this year but dread going it alone? Do you tell your friends amazing travel ideas only to have them tell you how “broke” they are?
I’ve been there before and I’m here to tell you that you can spend your whole life waiting for your broke friends to get their finance house so they can travel with you. So stop holding back because of your tax-challenged friends. You can go alone and have an amazing time.
You’ll even meet new people in New Orleans or meet people online going to the festival and form a meetup, traveling alone doesn’t have to mean being all alone.
Here are 7 secrets that work for traveling solo to any concert or music festival when you’d rather have company:
Stay in a good location
Staying in a hotel near the Ernest Morial Convention Center is the best and safest bet to meet people. You’ll be very close to all the hot spots, close to the French Quarter, the Superdome, and you won’t have to pay expensive cab fares or rent a car from somewhere like Metairie.
meet online
There are many free online communities where you can connect with other solo travelers. There are so many wonderful people you can connect and meet up with once you are in New Orleans. It also doesn’t have to be a one-on-one meeting. Invited to a group of people. If you like to exercise, get together and host an “exercise in the park” event at Woldenberg Park or find 10 people for lunch. You will meet people who share your interests and you will have new companions for the weekend.
meet on the plane
Strike up a conversation with those waiting in your airport terminal and you’re bound to find someone going to the Festival. If you find that person doesn’t fit his personality, politely apologize. If you’re sitting next to the person on the plane, you’ll be stuck for a few hours, so make the most of the situation and keep moving.
Meet at the Hotel
At check-in, there will be a lot of people waiting to get into their rooms. Strike up a conversation while you’re in line, if you like that person’s energy, agree to meet up later. Exchange cell phone numbers or email addresses.
Meet in a lounge or restaurant
If you see someone eating lunch or drinking alone, ask if you can join them. Talk about what acts you’re both interested in seeing and whether you plan to attend any of the free (and not-so-free) midday parties. They may end up going together!
Meet at an empowerment seminar
I love empowerment seminars for a number of reasons, but here are two:
1) they are free – free is rarely a bad thing
2) They are wonderful opportunities to share ideas and meet people with great minds.
Let your voice and ideas be heard during these empowering seminars. It can offer a new perspective that people in the room have never considered. Meeting someone at an Empowerment Seminar will leave you with a lot to talk about.
Smile
You can’t expect to meet new friends anywhere if you look at them with a frown. Smiles are contagious and raise your energy level. Smiling makes your face look youthful and radiates joy, which will attract more positive people to you.
There is a theme here in all these tips, do you know what they are? Have you already detected it? All of these tips require you to communicate. Forget everything you were taught when you were younger, talk to strangers!
Will Rogers said it best: “A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet.” So go out and meet new friends, you may find a new travel companion for life.