How to Travel as an Introverted Latina

When people think of Latinas, they normally think of someone who is outgoing and always talking. And although it’s a stereotype that for the most part can be very true, it’s not true for everyone including me. I consider myself an introvert who travels solo a lot. And learning how to travel as an introverted Latina has been interesting to say the least.

When most people meet me, they get the impression that I’m very much an extrovert because I can be very engaging and seem to be the outgoing type. I love meeting new people, going on all types of adventures, and venturing off on my own more than most people are willing to. This surprises people when they realize that I am an introvert, cause they’re like how do you do all these things and go all of these places when most of the time you’re alone?

What is an introvert or extrovert?

Let’s start with what makes one an introvert or an extrovert. Introverts love being social and having human contact as much as extroverts, but they recharge in private and on their own time. Extroverts need to be around others to recharge, whether it’s talking, doing activities, or being out and about. 

Now that we know more about each of these two types of personalities, why do I mention it? I share all of this information with you to show that not all travelers nor Latinas need to fit into certain stereotypes. It’s actually better that our personalities and everything else be unique because that’s why we travel. We travel to meet people different from us, exchange ideas we couldn’t have with the people we already know. It took me a while to even want to admit that I was introverted because it’s considered something negative, but I know other people can relate.

In addition to being introverted, I also used to be really shy. So shy that during my younger years I actually would have a hard time saying many things publicly because I thought I was being judged for every word coming out of my mouth. Now that I’ve grown up, I know most people really don’t care what you do. They may notice for a moment but they’ll forget about it seconds later. You’ll remember it and it’ll replay in your mind, but that’s it. It’s long gone out of anyone else’s. 

So how to travel as an introverted Latina?

Travel is about being yourself in the most comfortable way possible. Being shy or introverted shouldn’t prevent anyone from being a traveler. You don’t need to adapt if the people who you meet are more outgoing, because you won’t fully enjoy your trip that way.

There have been many times when I have been surrounded by people and still chose to spend time on my own. I feel comfortable on my own and most of the time don’t need the company of others to enjoy myself. It has taken me a long time to fully admit this, but I’m glad that I’m finally being true to myself.  

Traveling as an introvert may mean you’ll need to plan for solo activities or time where you know you’ll be able to recharge by doing something you really want to do. In no way should you feel guilty about being yourself. If you need to incorporate something that you usually do at home to feel more comfortable, then do it. It’s better to fully enjoy your experience than regret taking the whole trip all together. 

Even though I like my alone time, I don’t always like being alone. This is why I choose to stay in hostels when I travel solo. It allows me to choose how social I want to be. This is also why I love working in coffee shops. This way I can be around people, but know I can do my own thing too. There are some days I’ll have breakfast with other travelers and then spend the day completely on my own. Other days I’ll join activities others are doing if I’m interested in them too. Sometimes I meet people while I’m out and about and we make plans to meet again.

What now?

My main takeaway is not to feel guilty for being yourself even when immersing yourself somewhere new. You do not need to be a social butterfly to thrive while traveling. You do not need to be surrounded by people constantly to have a good time. But you also don’t need to be alone if you don’t want to. It’s all about balance. That’s how I like to look at it. 

Think about the ways you’ll be happy on your trip and make sure you can include enough of that to enjoy yourself. We travel to explore other places but we also travel to get to know ourselves. Travel helped me learn about this side of myself and be fully okay with it. If you relate with this at all then one day I hope you feel the same with yourself.

Do you also travel as an introverted Latina? I’d love to know more about your experience. Let’s talk about it in the comments!

Want to know more about my travel style and how I’ve able to travel as much as I have? Read this!

Make sure you’re following me on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for more up to date content on where I’m at and where I’m going next. If you haven’t already, join my email list so you know about my adventures, general travel updates, and more before anyone else!

Viaja more y live más,