Solo travel is a beautiful thing. You’re giving yourself the opportunity to discover the world while also discovering more about yourself.
Maybe you’ve thought about it before but have yet to take the plunge, so you’re looking for some convincing thoughts — if that’s the case, you’re in the right place.
I’ve traveled solo to nine countries so far and I already have more solo trips booked in my travel queue, so what’s the deal!? Why am I obsessed with solo travel? Let’s find out.
It gives you a new sense of the world around you.
When you travel with someone else, whether that be family, friends or a significant other, you’re focusing on them as well. Yet, when traveling solo, you lose that distraction, allowing yourself to be more in tune with your surroundings. Your eyes are focused on what’s before you, enabling you to soak up every little bit of what you see, hear and feel.
You get to have your own experience.
As always, you’re entitled to your own opinion, but especially when traveling solo. You can make your own judgments and opinions about what you see during your adventure instead of being accidentally persuaded by your travel companion. No one will be able to change your point of view.
You’ll get to know yourself better.
You’re alone with yourself. You’re in charge of all travel decisions, the world is your oyster! With that in mind, you’re bound to get better acquainted with yourself while learning what you like about traveling, how you prefer to travel (Budget? Adventure? Seaside? Luxury? Cities?), etc. without the compromise of traveling with a companion.
Also, you’re going to learn if you’re more introverted or extroverted. Are you finding yourself chatting up with strangers, mingling and making plans with your hostelmates, or are you simply lounging with a book, people-watching, and soaking up all the “me time” you can you can get?
More than these, you’re going to learn a tremendous number of other things about yourself that I couldn’t possibly type out for you. The only way to find out is to take the journey.
You’ll have the best stories to share!
These are your stories and yours only, and no one can take them from you. Embrace that!
One of my first solo trips is still to this day a favorite of mine. I went hiking in the west of Scotland, and in typical Scottish fashion it rained the entire time, yet it was still the perfect day in my opinion. I trekked through three different villages, witnessed Highland Cows up close and personal, walked through treacherous routes to find the best views of the mountains and forest, and just had the chance to be completely lost in my mind while surrounded by nobody and everything at the same time.
You’ll become stronger.
Traveling solo sets you up to be a stronger and more independent person. You don’t have a guide or companion telling you what’s next. Instead, it’s all on you! It can be challenging from time to time, but that’s how you’ll grow and become a master at problem solving.
You’ll learn a language quicker.
Passionate about languages? Going solo encourages you to interact more with the locals around you, meaning you might be forced to speak their language – how fun! Fully immerse yourself in the culture around you and you’ll be surprised how much you can learn in a short period of time!
You get to do whatever you want, when you want.
Possibly the best part of solo travel, you get to set the itinerary! You can plan out your days or you can simply sit back and let the day come to you. It doesn’t matter because the only person you need to please is yourself. No compromises.
You’ll meet more people!
When traveling solo, you’re more likely to stay in a hostel meaning you’re without a doubt going to run into fellow travelers. If you just say “Hello, my name is [insert name here]. Where are you from?” to these travelers, you’ll be surprised by how far this simple question can take you and what connections can come from it.
These people can become like your family during the duration of your stay (potentially forever!). There has never been a time that I stayed in a hostel as a solo traveler and didn’t leave without one new friend. This is due to the community-vibe created in most hostels. It’s typical of hostelmates to team up together to explore the city, go out for dinners together, and enjoy the nightlife. So, you’re bound to make a connection with at least some of them.
When I traveled solo to Malta, I made an entire group of friends. We enjoyed meals, dancing, good conversations, and we even went out on adventures together during the day. Due to the people I met and the experiences we had, my trip to Malta still sits high as one of my favorite trips of all time and best part — I still talk to the majority of those people today (and we meet up for travel adventures!).
You don’t have to wait around.
Maybe you have friends who want to travel, but every time you try to plan it never seems to be the right time, so you continue to wait around. If this is the case, stop waiting around for your friends because they may never be as ready as you are.
What are your thoughts? Will you take the plunge and travel solo? Or have you already traveled on your own and have more reasons to share? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to check out my article on budget travel.
