If you have the travel bug and really want to see the world, don’t let anyone or anything stop you. As cliché as this sounds, we only get one go at this life. You may have big dreams of traveling the world, going to a specific country or even living as an expat for a few weeks, months or year.
Do you have to wait for someone to have the same exact dream as you? Do you have to find someone that will enjoy the same itinerary in order to go? I say Heck no! Do you only eat steak and lobster if you partner does? My husband doesn’t eat either, so if I did that, I would never have steak or lobster. It’s crazy to think that a partner, friend or relative can keep you from exploring the world, but it happens all.of.the.time!
So here’s why I think traveling solo is awesome and 5 benefits to get you inspired to give it a try!
- You can go anywhere and do anything you want—When traveling with someone else, you have to plan around what you both would like. When it’s just you, your schedule is open to whatever you desire. You can spend the day in the hotel or you can spend the day exploring every inch of your destination. It’s all about you. Take this time to be selfish. (Yes, you deserve that!) Think of the things would you truly enjoy the most and plan around that.
- Your social skills will enhance as you are actually more likely to meet and mingle with the locals— A lot of people think that traveling solo means you’re a loner or too shy to have friends. But that’s not the case! When traveling with another person or group, you tend to stick to that person or group, right? You’re less likely to interact with the locals. When you’re solo, you will find how easy it is to spark dialogue with other people. You’ll have the opportunity to learn more from the locals and experience the destination fully. Plus they’ll be super interested in you and why you’ve decided to travel solo to their country! All of this intermingling is going to boast your confidence and social skills for back home!
- You can rest and read as you wish—This one is my favorite because I love a good relax day just reading a book.… Have you ever been on vacation and all you really wanted to do was lay by the pool or on the beach and read? You got out your book, you set up to have a relaxing day and then your travel partner kept interrupting you. Asking when you wanted to go here, what you should do next. Do you want to go to a different pool? (when all you want to do is sit, relax and read). When you’re alone, you can rest and read when you want. The day is yours to do as you wish. Traveling solo is a bit selfish. But that is the beauty of solo travel. It’s all about you. So make good use that alone time!
- Your confidence will soar—Your first solo travel experience will likely cause some initial anxiety. You may be thinking about the what ifs and how to’s and scenarios are likely running rampant in your mind. But once you get on the plane, train or automobile and set off on your adventure, you’re already going to experience a major confidence boost just knowing that you took a huge step alone. As each day that passes and you realize how much you can do alone, you’ll start to feel like you can conquer the world. And you just may, one trip at a time….
- You’ll become more comfortable with yourself—Understandably, not many people are okay with doing things alone. There is a safety net of doing things with other people. However being alone builds confidence and self awareness, which allows you to be more comfortable with yourself. Learning about yourself and traveling go hand in hand. While you’re out discovering a whole new culture, you’ll also be realizing things about yourself you may have forgotten, pushed to the side, or for the first time, just realized about yourself.
Planning a big trip, why not check out our push pin world travel maps to help inspire your destination!
