Why Solo Traveling Is Good for You: 5 Powerful Benefits
The first time I went solo traveling, I was 19. I decided to go to Lima, Peru, for spring break after perusing Google Maps in search of somewhere with a less punishing time difference since I had to return to school shortly after. It didn’t sound like a wild idea to me because I was accustomed to traveling with family and on school trips, so I saw this as just another trip that was just a little different. I don’t think I told anyone about it until I already bought my ticket and the trip was quickly approaching. When I did tell the people close to me, there were puzzled by the idea of a 19-year-old going on vacation in a country she knew nobody in.
On my uber ride to the airport, I remember smiling so hard and being filled with so much enthusiasm and excitement - oh and by the way, I did not have an itinerary!! I had one thing I planned to do which was taking a surfing class when I got there (read about that experience here)! Everything else, I pretty much figured out when I got there. There was no day 1 - this, day 2 - that. I find this to be one of the best ways to travel, especially if you’re going solo, because sometimes having no expectations or no plan, sort of adds to the adrenaline of the idea, and can make your trip even more enjoyable because you never know how your day is going to end!
Also, solo traveling means you’re not tied to anyone’s idea of having fun, other than your own. This is a big thing for me, because I don’t want to force someone to be somewhere they don’t want to be or do an activity they don’t want to do, and I certainly don’t like people doing that to me. Fortunately, in past trips with people, that has not been my case, but we all hear those stories of people who experienced the contrary, and it doesn’t sound fun.
From my experience, here are some advantages of solo traveling:
It pushes you out of your comfort zone. This is my favorite thing about it. Doing things alone that you’re used to doing with other people can be extremely uncomfortable and even frightful. But if you think about it, when you travel, you have to speak to people to get from point A to point B, to get recommendations from locals, to check into your hotel, to meet new people! If you’re adventurous, you’d find yourself trying new activities, food you haven’t had before etc.
It’s a confidence booster. You’re responsible for yourself always, but particularly when you solo travel. Because of this you have no choice but to have your own back and trust yourself and the decisions that you make during the trip. Also, I must admit, it’s pretty brave to take yourself on vacation. I find that doing daring things also help with your self-confidence.
Freedom to do anything you want. This is the most fun part. If you financed the trip by yourself, you’re highly unlikely to sit down in the hotel/airbnb all day! You’re not gonna do that! You may incentivized to do anything available to you because time is money, especially if you’re on vacation! On a more serious note, solo traveling is your opportunity to see and do whatever you like, so why not take advantage?
You will learn things about yourself. As you’re trying different things, you will learn about stuff you do/don’t like - whether it’s types of food, drinks or activities. You never know until you try!
You will learn about independence. Before I get into this, let me just say: we 100% need people, that’s why 8 Billion of us exist. However, not everything in life is a shared experience: we all have our individual lives to live, and have hopes, dreams and ambitions, of our own. It’s important to be able to do things by ourselves, and not just wait for someone else to come to the rescue. Solo traveling, you’ll have to budget for yourself, plan for yourself, and be accountable for your own happiness during the trip. Just as there’s power in co-dependency, there’s power in independence.
So, where to next?
