Why You Should Experience Solo Travel
For many people, the thought of traveling alone is a terrifying prospect, or at the very least unappealing. However, solo travel often presents opportunities for some of the most powerful and rewarding experiences you can imagine. Being faced with new challenges and forced to overcome them all on your own, all while being way outside of your comfort zone, reveals and cultivates a new level of inner strength and confidence that you will carry with you long after your trip has ended.
Of course, traveling with friends and family certainly offers its own rewards. Sharing experiences with those closest to you creates memories and strengthens bonds that will last forever. Solo travel, in its own unique way, can be equally as rewarding. Here is a list of 10 reasons I believe everyone should experience solo travel at least once in their lives.
1. Challenge
Travel brings its own innate set of challenges. Having to face those challenges on your own is humbling at times, and only makes them that much more difficult to overcome. This presents you with an opportunity, though. The opportunity to test yourself, stretch the boundaries of your comfort zone, and grow as an individual because of it. With every challenge you face and overcome while traveling alone, you become much more of a confident, capable, and appreciative human being.
2. Independence
The feeling of independence you gain while traveling alone is exhilarating. Each day is a blank page for you to fill however you would like. Putting your own wants and desires first while remaining completely responsible for any possible outcome is exciting and exceedingly empowering.
3. Freedom
With independence comes the freedom to choose how you spend your time. When traveling with other people, you are forced to be more selective about which sites you visit and the activities you choose. When you are traveling solo, you get to experience and explore only what interests you most, without having to consider the wants and needs of a travel companion. Want to spend all day in a museum? Go for it. Enjoy an afternoon reading a book and watching the world pass by from the comfort of a park bench? Perfect. This is your trip, do whatever it is that brings you the most joy.
4. Time
Solo travel affords you the time and space to play catch-up on any neglected areas of your life. Now you can read that book or revisit those blank pages of your journal. Maybe you want to step back, reflect, and reevaluate your priorities. Solo travel provides the perfect opportunity to practice gratitude and identify any areas of your life that might need little improvement.
5. Self Discovery
Solo travel forces you outside of your comfort zone each and every day. You get comfortable being alone with your thoughts and quickly begin to learn a lot about yourself. Operating with such freedom and independence in a new place gives you a remarkably better understanding of exactly who you are and what you are truly capable of.
6. Confidence
When you overcome challenges and gain a better understanding of who you are, a new level of confidence will undoubtedly arise. You carry this with you long after your trip has ended as it spills over into all aspects of your everyday life.
7. Being Present
When you are off exploring on your own, you can’t help but directly engage with both the destination and its people. Without the distraction of a travel companion, you are free to be fully present in the moment, immersing yourself in the culture with every sight, smell, and sound.
8. Meeting People
When traveling with someone, you are far less likely to put yourself out there and meet new people. When traveling alone, you always end up meeting locals, other travelers, and other solo travelers as well. Solo travelers develop almost a sixth sense by being able to spot each other instantly. You will soon realize how common solo travel really is and start to feel like you’re now part of a special club. While your time spent together may be short, the friends you make while traveling alone will be friends for years to come.
9. Sense of Accomplishment
After taking that big leap of faith and leaving your comfort zone, tackling all of those daily challenges, and taking time to spoil yourself, you will return home from your first solo trip riding a wave of an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. You have conquered your fears and gained newfound confidence. Pat yourself on the back, and be proud!
10. Opportunity
Solo travel will open up your world to endless travel opportunities. I would’ve missed out on so many incredible experiences if I only allowed myself to travel when it fit into other people’s schedules. Embrace solo travel, and you won’t ever again have to worry about missing out on the experience of a lifetime simply because friends or family couldn’t take the time away from work or weren’t interested in your desired destination. And never forget;
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