You love your freedom.  You make friends in every hostel you stay in, and you find it easy to  start up conversations with random people on the streets.  You travel solo and live out your travel dreams on your own terms.

As a frequent solo traveler myself, I could write a book on the joys of being able to change plans at the drop of a hat or not having to deal with the stress that comes from being around a friend for way too long.  By going solo, you often open yourself up to experiences you might not have otherwise considered because, really, the only plans you’re breaking by switching it up are your own.

Solo travel has its place, but… sometimes you get into awkward situations. Here are 15 that you’re likely to deal with on the road and how to cope:

Here’s where a phrase book really comes in handy. Write down the problem in the local language, or ask an English-speaking local at your hostel to do so for you. Another good tip: bring some basic medical supplies so you don’t have to go the pharmacist for something minor.

Evelyn Hannon had this exact experience:  “I was in Chennai, India, made my last purchase in a shop and was heading back to the ship I was on. The owner of the shop found a rickshaw driver and told him where the ship was docked. I got in and it wasn’t long before I realized we were lost in the dock area, but I couldn’t explain this to the driver. The sun was going down and being lost in the grungy dock area in Chennai was not a good idea. As we passed a policeman I yelled to him and he asked the rickshaw driver to stop. I explained to the policeman where we needed to go and he translated to the driver. The policeman left, and the driver began to shout at me and from the few words I understood, the driver was angry because he thought I reported him to the police. Now the sun was really down and I’m on the dock, lost and with an angry driver. I cajoled as best I could, apologized as best I could and a half hour later I saw the ship lit up in the distance. Thank goodness!”

If you think you’re being taken for a ride (and not the kind you bargained for), enlist help – a local on the street, a policeman or a hotel concierge. To avoid this issue, try to always have a map on hand with your accommodation marked or a phone number of someone to call at your destination who can give directions in the local language.

A little prior preparation can be a real time-saver. Skip the automated machines. Write down the city names and departure times on a card and give them to a ticket agent – then have the agent point you to the right platform to catch your train. If you still end up lost….enjoy the ride. You might discover something even better than your original destination,

If you’re allergic (or just hate) certain foods, have cards made up in the local language that list the things you can’t or won’t  eat. If it’s not an allergy issue, be adventurous and at least try a little bite!

Michael Hodson blogged about a friend, who didn’t know Spanish well, was being helped home to his hostel by a friendly stranger to then find out his helper had something else in mind:  “And off walked a very disappointed local guy that thought Mark had agreed to a night of passion.”

If a situation makes you uncomfortable, be assertive, and walk away to a safer or more populated area. Be on your guard but not paranoid; most people don’t have bad intentions.

>> Read: 7 Common Travel Disasters: How to Avoid Them and What to Do if One Happens to You

Remind yourself of the reasons you started traveling in the first place. Put your thoughts down in your journal. Call or skype home. Try to make friends despite the language issues.

Concentrate on the food you’re eating, read a book, write in a journal, or chat up the waitstaff. It’ll pass the time and you may make a new friend or get a free dessert.

>> Read: 12 Ways to Combat the Solo Travel Blues

Megan Kearney found herself discussing her “fertility with the Tajik ambassador to Kyrgyzstan when he noticed my age while processing my visa.”

Kate McCully wrote about making up a fake boyfriend after pressure to have a boyfriend or husband in Laos:  “Creating a simple story of a faraway boyfriend defuses the situation, lets locals see me in a socially acceptable light, and allows us to get back to better conversation topics: our lives, our families, and how much I love Lao food.”

Accept that every culture has its own social norms and your job as a traveler isn’t to change them. You can cry yourself to sleep (which is a waste) or just laugh it off and make up a fake partner.

Megan Kearney had an encounter with an older French tourist in Uzbekistan and “trying to get away from him and having to duck into shops” to keep him from following her back to the hotel.

In Turkey, she had a similar experience and was rescued by a group of young men.

When a stranger follows you, invades your space, or just won’t back off, make your way to a crowded area and enlist help; stop into a shop, tell the bartender or waiter, head to a busy hotel or restaurant, find a policeman or make a quick getaway in a cab. Another option is making a phone call. Sometimes even the long-distance presence of someone else is enough to encourage an unwelcome hoverer to back off.

>> Read 7 Solo Female Travel Myths Debunked

Christopher Stobbs shares his story:  “I had a group of young kids throw stones at me in a village in Uganda.. In that situation I think I having another traveler would only have made me feel less alone. I don’t think it would have stopped them from throwing stones, I’m sad to say. Wrong place, wrong time of day basically.”

Develop a thick skin and a sense of humor. Especially in isolated locations, the locals are bound to be curious about obvious outsiders. If all else fails, put in your headphones and ignore the comments.

>> Read the Art of Traveling Tall 

Durant Imboden recently had this experience:  “On a recent solo trip to Italy, the staff on all three of the hotels where I stayed seemed surprised that I was traveling alone (even though I’d booked single rooms). Maybe I look like someone who’s old enough to require a companion?”

Matt Long confesses he feels like he’s  “travel cheating” when he takes solo trips.

If you can’t change your situation, change your attitude.

Solo travel makes for great travel experiences, but some of those experiences are likely to be little on the awkward side. Don’t sweat it, awkward experiences make the funniest travel stories to tell at your next destination.

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Photo credits:Rawpixel.com, Joyseulay, SasinTipchai,  E_serebryakova, William Perugini