Top 8 Reasons To Travel Solo
1. You want to see the world
YOU. This is a no brainer #1. There are places you want to explore, experiences you want to have, and foods you want to taste! These combinations of wants and desires are unique to you. What’s anyone else got to do with it?
2. Solitude and Growth
Solitude. The benefits of solitude are underrated. Sometimes we need to disconnect from the world and spend quality time with ourselves to recharge. No matter how old you are, you’d be amazed at how much you still don’t know about yourself. Solo travel provides experiences that enable enormous amounts of personal and spiritual growth. It cultivates a self-loving relationship, which is good for your health and makes you a better person for the world.
3. Be On Your Own Time
Freedom. Have you ever been on a group trip where everyone wanted to do something different or had different budgets, which affected the activities you participated in? Whether you’re someone who likes to get up early and start sightseeing, or someone who likes to lounge around and take it easy, when you go solo, you don’t have to worry about anyone else’s schedule or resources but your own. You have the freedom to explore at will.
4. Make International Friends
Friends. When you travel with family and friends, naturally you tend to stick together because you want to have shared experiences. You explore together. You eat together. You talk with each other. This leaves little room for interacting with new people. When you’re solo, there isn’t a familiar face to cling to. It’s an opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and pay attention to everyone else around you. People are more likely to approach you when you’re by yourself, which lends to making connections you otherwise might not be open for. International friends become your tour guides, your foreign language teachers, and your companions while you’re abroad. If you’re open, you can make true life-long friends in other countries.
5. Bolster Your Independence
Independence. Solo travel turns you into a superhero. You’ll feel empowered after you’ve braved the big bad world in foreign lands by yourself! You’ll get a confidence boost knowing that you can do just about anything on your own. No more waiting around for people if you don’t want to. Once you have a personal sense of your independence, nothing will deter you from doing the things you want to do.
6. Perks
Perks. Generally speaking, people are more willing to offer you extras or help you out when you’re alone. Whether it’s a free upgrade to a better room, a free tour from a local, a comped meal by a restaurant owner, or an extra spot on a better helicopter, there is something about a person traveling on their own that people are amazed by and are genuinely willing to support. Not to mention solo travelers are easier to accommodate. As always, be cautious about what you accept. Safety first. Make sure it’s legit but graciously accept what you can get.
7. Experience
Experience. There is no substitute for experience. You can watch all the travel TV shows you want, but there is nothing like being the star of your own show. You can look at photos of crystal clear blue waters in a magazine, but there is nothing like getting in that water and feeling it on your skin. You won’t know if you can climb that mountain if you never set foot on it. In this age of technology with the digital world at our fingertips, we forget we need real social and physical experiences in the world. Go do all the things you always wanted to try when you were a kid. You only get one life and your next second is not promised.
8. You Don’t Have Anyone To Go With
Alone. We’ve all been here at some point. We find ourselves in the sandbox alone with no one else to play with. Use this as an opportunity to get to know yourself better and make some new friends on the road. Sometimes the people around us keep us from making new connections of value. Solo travel will test and bring out different parts of you, and it will have a crazy impact on your personal development. Not having anyone to travel with isn’t a bad thing, it’s a blessing in disguise.
Solo Wanderer 