1) Talk to everyone
I talk to absolutely anyone- young or old, man or woman, people behind me in line, sitting next to me at a bar, wait staff, hotel staff, and, of course, bartenders. I've been befriended in cities around the world simply by asking a question like, Where's a fun place to go? In Venice when I asked that I was taken along on a bar crawl with some fun locals who are still my friends today. They even sent me a personalized lovely framed photo of us and our night of fun together. I told a cab driver in Croatia to surprise me and take me anywhere fun. Clearly finding fun is a priority for me. He took me to this huge beach party I'd never have known about on my own and there I met a local who is still my friend today. Chat works!
2) Be resourceful
Put me anywhere but give me a map. Most travel books have one and you can usually find them at any transportation hub but you need to know how to read one. I happen to be very visual so can picture exactly where I am and what direction to go to get to the tiniest of streets. I also take whatever public transportation is available. My first solo getaway was to London and I hopped off the plane & onto the Tube like I've been doing it all my life. I am writing this post in the Barcelona train station. I've never been to Spain in my life. I took a bus from the airport (about 20 min) and got off when they announced a Metro stop is nearby. I took the Metro a few stops and used my map to walk to the station. I find it gratifying to get from point A to point B spending as little as possible. That little journey I just took cost €8. A cab would've been €40. And I have found that people are very helpful wherever I go.
So there you have it. Be friendly and resourceful and you too can globe trot on your own. Traveling alone is very empowering and you'll have experiences you likely would not have had otherwise.
It's your adventure- make the most of it! Stay tuned for my stories...Cheers! 
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