Are you a free spirit looking to expand and travel this year, but afraid to go it alone? Do you mention fantastic travel ideas to your friends only to get them to tell you how “broke” they are?
I’ve been there before and I’m here to tell you that you can spend a lifetime waiting for broke friends to get their financial home to travel with you. So stop holding yourself back because of your tax-troubled friends. You can go alone and have an amazing time.
You’ll even meet new people in New Orleans or meet people online who will attend the festival and form a gathering, traveling alone doesn’t have to mean being alone.
Here are 7 secrets that work for traveling alone to any concert or music festival when you prefer to have company:
Stay in a good location
Staying in a hotel near the Ernest Morial Convention Center is the best and safest option for meeting people. You’ll be very close to all the hot spots, close to the French Quarter, Superdome, and you won’t have to pay crazy taxi 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 many wonderful people you can connect with and have a meeting with once they are in New Orleans. It also doesn’t have to be a one-on-one meeting. Invite a group of people. If you’re into fitness, host a 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
Start a conversation with those waiting in your airport terminal and you are sure to find someone to go to the Festival. If you find that this person does not fit your personality, politely apologize. If you’re sitting next to the person on the plane, you’re stuck for a few hours, so make the most of the situation and keep them moving.
Meeting at the Hotel
At check-in, there will be a lot of people waiting to enter your rooms. Start a conversation while in line, if you like the energy of that person, agree to meet later. Exchange cell phone numbers or email addresses.
Meet in a lounge or restaurant
If you see someone eating or drinking alone, ask if you can join them. Talk about what acts both of you are interested in seeing and if you plan to attend any of the free (and not so free) noon parties. You can end up going together!
Meet at an empowerment seminar
I love empowerment seminars for a number of reasons, but here are two:
1) they’re free: free is rarely bad
2) They are wonderful opportunities to share ideas and meet people with great minds.
Let your voice and ideas be heard during these empowerment seminars. It can offer a new perspective that the 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 find new friends anywhere if you look at them with a frown. Smiles are contagious and increase your energy level. Smiling makes your face look youthful and you radiate 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.