When I travel solo, one of the first things I look for is not a checklist of attractions. I look for a nearby group trek, a city walk or a small gathering I can join.

It gives me a reason to step out, but it also gives the place a human context. Instead of only seeing a city through maps and recommendations, I get to experience it alongside people who live there, have recently arrived or are exploring it just like me.

That is how joining meetups slowly became one of my favourite travel habits.

This story expands on our Instagram guide, What is a meetup?, which looks at how one shared interest can become a conversation, a new perspective and a story you did not arrive with.

One shared interest is enough to begin

A meetup does not need a complicated purpose. It can begin with something as simple as hiking, food, books, photography, running or a neighbourhood walk.

The shared interest makes arriving easier. You already have one thing to talk about, so there is less pressure to introduce yourself perfectly or keep a conversation going from nothing.

But the interest is only the starting point.

During a trek, someone may tell you why they moved to the city. Over coffee, a conversation about food can turn into stories about family, work or travel. A walk through an unfamiliar neighbourhood can reveal the everyday details that never appear in a guidebook.

You may arrive for the activity and leave remembering the people.

A different way to explore a place

Solo travel gives me freedom, but joining a local gathering adds something I cannot create on my own: other points of view.

People notice different things. Someone knows the quiet route through a busy neighbourhood. Someone else has a story about a building I would have walked past. Another person may recommend a café, a trail or a part of the city I would never have found by searching for “top things to do.”

The place begins to feel less like a destination and more like somewhere people actually live.

For me, this is one of the nicest ways to explore. I can keep the independence of travelling solo while still sharing part of the experience with others.

Your social circle can begin with one afternoon

Meetups also make it possible to meet people outside the usual circles of work, university or existing friends.

Not every gathering leads to a lasting friendship, and it does not need to. Sometimes the value is simply a thoughtful conversation, a shared meal or a few hours spent seeing the city differently.

Sometimes, though, you meet someone you want to see again. One walk leads to another plan. A person you met at a table introduces you to a new interest. Over time, a collection of small gatherings can quietly expand your social circle.

There is no need to force it. You only need to show up with some curiosity.

From attending meetups to hosting them

After joining many treks, walks and gatherings, meetups stopped feeling like something I did only while travelling. They became a hobby.

I still enjoy attending because every host creates a different atmosphere and every group brings a different mix of experiences. But I also began to enjoy hosting.

Hosting lets me create the kind of gathering I like joining: a clear reason to meet, a comfortable place and enough structure to help the first conversation begin—without presentations, forced introductions or pressure to impress anyone.

The best part is watching a table of people who arrived separately begin exchanging stories as if the distance between them was smaller than they expected.

That feeling became part of the reason behind Travelling Table.

You can arrive alone

The first few minutes of any gathering can feel uncertain, especially when you do not know anyone. I still think that is normal.

You do not need to be the most social person in the room. You do not need a clever introduction. And you do not need to arrive with a friend.

Choose a gathering built around something you genuinely enjoy. Start with one question. Listen to someone’s experience. Let the conversation take its own shape.

A meetup is simply a shared starting point. What follows might be a new perspective, a new part of the city, a future plan or just a good story to take home.