Checking off my bucket list: Solo escape to the friendly Singapore

For years I've been thinking of travelling solo, but I didn't have the courage nor the right excuse to do so. Last month, that opportunity surfaced, and I grabbed it without a second thought. The trip itself was too short, the destination was close, and my intention wasn't purely for vacation, yet it was still challenging and rewarding at the same time. Where did I go? Singapore.

While many won't even consider a 3-day trip to Singapore an adventure, for me it was. I'd only been to Singapore twice prior to that trip, and both times I was either with my family or with my friend. Yes, Singapore is a breeze to get around, and it's relatively safe for female solo travellers. That's partly why I was courageous enough to go with this impromptu plan. Aware of how expensive Singapore can be and how I was bit strapped for cash from my previous Jakarta trip, topped with limited vacation days from the office, I ended up going on a Thursday and coming back the very Saturday. With one day spent for concert (my sole intention was to see Jay Park), I had only half Thursday and half Saturday to roam the country freely. 

Airport Fiasco

I hate being in planes & airports. The number of security measures & authority figures I have to get through give me anxiety like no other, and the anxiety worsens when I fly alone. I've flown alone  multiple times before, but the feeling just never subsides. It never gets easier, and I can only appear calm most of the time to help with the sickness I feel inside. 

The first disaster happened on the day of departure. I had no checked luggage, and I foolishly brought my selfie stick with me. From the entrance of the airport, the staff had reminded me to put the stick in my suitcase, but I had no idea he meant to have it checked in, and not taken to the cabin. Predictably, I got hold up in the immigration gate. The staff had me open my suitcase and take out the problematic  item. From then on, I had two choices: giving my selfie stick up or somehow sending it back home. If the stick had been cheap, i'd have gladly given it up, but it was a $100 stick. There was no way I could trash it. I was alone and my flight was 2 hours away. I felt completely lost. Nevertheless, I exited the gate, sprinted back outside the airport to book an instant delivery service, hoping the courier would arrive fast so that I didn't miss my flight. Only when the courier had taken my selfie stick and ridden away on his bike did I feel relaxed again. 

Did my nightmare end there? Sadly no. 

In Changi Airport, when I was about to enter my gate to fly back home, another belonging of mine called for troubles. The security staff mistook my solid body soap from Lush for a water bottle. Well, it was in a bottle shape, but it was clearly not liquid what so ever. I was taken aback when the uncles told me to take out the water cause I brought none. Completely lost, I let them rummage through my already packed tote bag for anything resembling liquid. The staff took out my Lush paper bag, held onto my bottle-shaped soap, and demanded answer. "It's soap," I blatantly said. "Well, it's shaped like a bottle, if that's an issue." Soon the uncles understood and just laughed it off; I was cleared to go. 

Behold! Another lady checking my boarding pass then told me my hand luggage was over the limit and I needed to get one of them checked in. I casually brushed her off saying how I'd put everything so that I only had 2 carry-ons. Oh, how I hate airports and flying. 

(Almost) Smooth Sailing

Apart from those minor accidents in the airport, the rest of my trip went quite well. On the day of my arrival in Singapore, I found my way to the hostel without a hitch, and even managed to follow through with my itinerary. I went to Suntec City Mall to do a quick shopping at Lush, and ate fantastic vegan dinner in a vegetarian restaurant there. I also hopped by the cute Gudetama Cafe in the mall for a quick drink, took some commemorative pictures, and headed back to get a good night rest. 

Things, however, could've been better if I had remembered to bring a pair of jeans with me. The very night as I was about to end the day, I realized I had packed only my tops and none of any kind of pants or skirt to go with the tops. My plan to start queueing early for the concert instantly fell through. I had to buy something or I got nothing to wear. Fyi, I wore a dress hoodie on the first day, which meant I truly had nothing to pair my pre-packed regular t-shirts with. Oh I felt like a complete idiot at that time. 

The next morning I woke up early, washed up, had a quick breakfast, and quickly made my way to the concert venue in my 1-day old hoodie. After securing my spot in the queue, I walked to Suntec City (again) to buy some sort of skirt in H&M of sorts. I hated the idea of shopping for fast fashion items, but I had no other choice at that time. 

Once I had purchased a skirt from H&M, I went back to the hostel for a quick wardrobe change and had lunch at this amazing Japanese Vegetarian Restaurant in Lucky Plaza called Herbivore. It was my goal to visit the restaurant because of its sushi. I craved sushi so badly. The restaurant had a wide array of Japanese dishes, but I could only ordered one serving cause I was alone and clearly it wasn't a good idea to order more than I could digest. Sadly, that was the last proper meal I had for the day, for I spent the remainder of the day in Shine Auditorium for Jay Park's concert. 

Finding Gems in Jewel Changi

The last day in Singapore unfolded in a blink of an eye. My flight home wasn't until 4.30 p.m., but I decided to check out early and headed straight to the airport to explore the new Jewel @ Changi. There were a few things I wanted to do: find Pizza Express to buy its Impossible™ pasta, go to Prive for its Beyond™ burger, and check out the biggest Starbucks Reserve. I did them all, including a visit to the rain vortex, the tallest indoor waterfall in the country. Exploring the Jewel was fun, but the highlight was definitely my lunch at Pizza Express. For the first time, I tried the Impossible™ meat, which tasted identical to the real one. I was also pleasantly surprised at how delightful the Beyond™ burger patty was. Companies like Beyond™ and Impossible™ make me hopeful about the future of plant-based food. 

My trip may have ended, and there might have been some hitches here and there, but overall it was truly memorable. Everything makes me want to travel to other places alone. I love being in the company of myself, love the freedom to roam and rest whenever I feel like it, and not having to entertain other people but myself. This is why people travel solo. It's a cure for the tired souls.