How do you guys travel deeper? What am I missing?

Hey guys I've been solo traveling around Eastern Europe for about 10 days now. It's been really nice so far, even though the weather hasn't been great. I started in Estonia and plan to make my way all the way down to Greece. Right now I’m in Lithuania, which I’m loving. But sometimes I feel like I’m going on easy mode, staying in hostels, exploring cities, taking buses or trains. It makes me happy but I also feel like something's missing. Like I need to add a bit more challenge or depth to really enjoy it fully. I don’t know if that makes sense to anyone?? What do you guys recommend for making this kind of trip more meaningful instead of just hopping from hostel to hostel? Should I try Couchsurfing? Hitchhiking? Volunteering? How do you plan your days to make them more enjoyable or memorable? I really enjoy talking to locals, asking them about their country and their way of life. I love connecting on that deeper level. Hostels are great, but do you have any other suggestions for authentic travel experiences? I just don’t want to get to Greece and feel like everything was too smooth, like I just breezed through the trip. I kind of crave that hard mode... hitchhiking, helping locals with something in exchange for a stay, sharing meals with them, really living their culture instead of just visiting it. I want more than just going to a bar and eating beetroot soup in the Baltics, you know? Thanks for reading and appreciate any help :) --- **Post Details:** - **Subreddit:** r/solotravel - **Author:** u/Spl3ndor - **Score:** 61 upvotes - **Upvote Ratio:** 68.0% - **Comments:** 161 - **Posted:** 6/27/2025 - **URL:** https://reddit.com/r/solotravel/comments/1llvc86/how_do_you_guys_travel_deeper_what_am_i_missing/