“Everyone Should Travel Solo at Least Once”
At the end of my first year of college, I found myself disappointed and exhausted. I didn’t feel like I learned anything that would benefit me in a future occupation. I was also working two part-time jobs to pay for it. I needed to reset.
I booked a flight to Spain during the first week of summer break. I was 19 and had never eaten at a restaurant in my own country by myself, let alone gone to a foreign country alone.
In my eight days there, I was able to navigate my way through three different cities, being completely responsible for myself. I befriended other travelers and locals who will be lifelong friends. I was able to step away from social media as my phone was no longer the most interesting thing in my life. I experienced true freedom for the first time and I think that everyone should feel that way at least once in their life.
Go outside of your comfort zone
Traveling solo may seem intimidating, but pushing yourself to do things outside of your comfort zone is sometimes needed in order to grow.
Being lost in a new city and unable to ask for directions because you don’t know the language isn’t as big of a deal when you’re surrounded by friends or family members. Being alone and having to figure out your next move is empowering and will make you realize that you’re strong and can manage independently.
Going outside your comfort zone can increase self-esteem as you find that you have the courage and ability to overcome obstacles on your own. Challenging yourself by traveling alone will force you to uncover knowledge and potential that you didn’t know you had.
I went to Spain feeling like I knew only the basics of the Spanish language. I thought I was limited to simple greetings and thank you. When I lost my phone on the third day of my trip, I found myself able to have a complete conversation with a woman in a phone store.
There really is so much inside someone that they are unaware of until they push themselves outside their comfort zone by traveling alone. Don’t be afraid to fail. Mistakes will become experiences you can learn from.
While traveling solo, you will find yourself completely open to transformation. You will gain so many life skills, become more adaptable, and learn so much about yourself. This time away from the normalcy of everyday life will be very introspective.
Freedom
Traveling solo means being completely free to do whatever you want. You don’t have to ask what other people are feeling for dinner, where they want to go next, or what they want to do. You do what you want, go where you want, when you want to do it.
During this time, you are free to be as selfish as you want. You can spend your time however you like. You can get up as early as you want and stay out as late as you want. You don’t have to worry about your friend getting bored as you circle through that amazing museum one more time.
I travel with my mom a lot and I really enjoy seeing new places with her. However, she’s really picky about food and when I travel solo, I enjoy not spending as much time trying to find a place to eat so that I can spend more time sightseeing.
Another perk is following your own budget. Since you’re planning your own trip you decide what you’re spending money on. As a broke college student, I found myself relieved that I wasn’t traveling with someone who wanted to spend time shopping or eating at expensive restaurants. I had the freedom to stay at hostels instead of hotels and took buses instead of taxis.
Traveling solo gives you an opportunity to pursue your own interests.
You’re more inclined to make new friends
When traveling with friends or family there isn’t a reason to go out of your way to start a conversation with someone new. Being alone makes you more inclined to try to reach out to others and makes you more approachable as well.
When young people travel alone, they generally stay in hostels. When you stay at a hostel you pay a small price for a bunk in a room with many others. This is a wonderful way for solo travelers to connect with each other and find people to explore the city with. If you are traveling with a group of friends, a partner, or your family members, they probably won’t like the idea of sleeping in small bunk beds.
When I arrived at the hostel I’d booked, everyone who was staying there was having dinner on the roof. I sat at the end of the table and almost instantly a British girl came over and asked me what I was doing that evening. She invited me to go out salsa dancing. I had no idea how to salsa dance but after six hours I’d learned the basics and also made a new friend.
Disconnect from social media
Social media is constantly reminding us of the experiences that other people are having. Solo travel gives you an excellent reason to put your phone aside and have those experiences yourself.
As technology advances, it’s becoming even more important to disconnect and form opinions based on our own experience and perspectives. When you go see different parts of the world for yourself and you aren’t influenced by the opinions of others, you gain new perspectives.
There isn’t a lot about our lives that aren’t private anymore. We share our family pictures and vacations, work, thoughts, opinions, beliefs, all on social media. Traveling alone gives you an opportunity to create memories that only you know about.
When I travel with my friends, they all want to take photos and post them on Instagram. When I travel alone, I don’t feel the pressure to document my trip by posting everything on social media.
There are plenty of studies done that say how social media provides a false sense of happiness. There aren’t any negative effects that come from taking a break from social media. While you are traveling alone, completely free, responsible for yourself, and outside your comfort zone, you will find truer happiness.
