even sven, I’m definitely thinking about a hostel, mostly because of the cost. I’ve never done that before and I might as well try it while I’m young.
I don’t know anything about security at a hostel though. I’ll probably have my laptop with me for the work part of the trip and leaving it behind in a common space sounds like a terrible idea. I tend to associate hostels with backpacking and thus taking all your stuff with you every day.
I did so many solo road trips in my 20s that I don’t think I can count them. They were photo expeditions of sorts. I would go hunting for industrial ruins and abandoned houses. I stayed in campgrounds often. I used to wear a silver band that looked like a wedding ring, so that when I stopped someplace for food or drink, I could say something to suggest I had a husband who would be arriving imminently, in case anyone thought it odd that a woman was travelling alone.
I’d say go for it, a flight to HI is to costly to waste on a 2-3 day jaunt, this coming from a fellow grad student. I went to Belize for a month solo right after undergrad and enjoyed it thoroughly, even though I shared some of the nervousness you seem to be feeling at first. There were times it got lonely, but that can be good for forcing you out of your comfort zone a little - that’s when you really grow anyway. I’d say if you’ve ever struck up a convo with a stranger on a bus, in a bar, or at a party you’re well equipped to handle yourself for a week of solo travel. Keep in mind that solitude does not mean loneliness. In a beautiful place like HI you’ll probably be content to just soak in the scenery for some time, and that’s besides all the great active stuff you’ll be able to do.
This was already mentioned, but be sure to bring a book -it saved me from feeling uncomfortable while waiting around alone (especially at restaurants!)
I’ve traveled a far amount alone. If you’re in a pretty tight budget, you need to to a lot more research ahead of time. Will you have a car? How much do inter-island ferries (air or boat) cost? Are you safe enough just to wander around in? How far is the beach?
I took a bike tour up the coast of southern CA once. It cost me $80 above the cost of my ticket to fly my bike – the airline gave me a big box and I was also able to cram a fair amount of extra stuff in there (panniers, tent, sleeping bag) for no extra charge.
You might look into doing something like that.
You may love it and the worst case is you waste a few days of your life.
I traveled solo and backpacked Tibet several times by myself. It was awesome. I’ll probably never ever again have that opportunity to just travel by myself for as long as I felt like it.
I’ve never been to a hostel that didn’t have some sort of secure place for valuables- either personal lockers or some sort of secure luggage room. Most hostel theft is a crime of opportunity- people just leave small valuable things like iPods laying around unattended, or pass out with wads of money sticking out of their pockets. Most people travel with laptops these days, so it won’t be an unusual temptation and common sense precautions should be fine.
If you are really worried, fire off a quick email to the hostel asking if they have a secure place for laptops.