Why Travel Solo?
I’ve been taking trips on my own since the age of 17, almost ten years of solo traveling, and for me it has become by far my favourite way to travel. People always ask me why. Why do it? Isn’t it scary? Do you get nervous? Don’t you get lonely?
And I’ve come to the conclusion that there is a huge misconception about solo travel, and why people opt to do it in the first place. So this week I’m breaking down my top 5 reasons why I think everyone should take a solo trip at least once in their life.
Solo Travel Gives You Freedom
Traveling solo gives you the freedom to decide what you want to do and when you want to do it. For me, my travel time is very precious. I sometimes get to spend as little as 24 hours in a destination, so I want to spend my time there doing exactly what I want.
I made friends with one of the employees working at the Blue Lagoon in Iceland when he saw that I was visiting by myself. He got this photo for me and was even nice enough to get me a couple free face masks, too.
When you travel with other people, sometimes schedules and ideas can clash. I for one have absolutely no problem walking everywhere, traveling cheap, cooking at the Airbnb, and hiking for the entire day, and I know that that kind of itinerary is not for everybody.
When I’m abroad by myself, I can do what makes me happy without having to worry if somebody else is having an absolutely terrible time on our ten-hour hike to or if maybe they hate me for making them lug their suitcase half a mile to the Airbnb. I can do all that stuff guilt-free because I know my own limits and comfort zones.
2. Solo Travel is an Adventure
A photo from my time in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. I took some time away from the group to do some solo hiking through the mountains and enjoy the stunning scenery.
Embarking out on your own can be a little bit scary, but it can also be such a great adventure. My first solo trip is one of my most precious memories, and it’s something that I feel changed me in a big way. And “adventure” can mean something different to everybody. It doesn’t necessarily have to be bungee jumping and climbing Mt. Everest - although personally I think that sounds like a blast.
Adventure can be the simple act of getting on a flight by yourself for the first time ever or taking a walking tour and making friends with other tourists or staying in a hostel even though you’re nervous about it. When you travel by yourself, even the smallest things can be an adventure because they’re new and exciting and maybe even a little bit scary, and that’s how your trip becomes memorable.
3. Solo Travel Pushes Your Boundaries
Solo travel is great for this, and it’s something I feel everyone should be encouraged to do. When you go out and embrace your fears, you’re bound to surprise yourself. You’ll realize that you can do things you probably didn’t think were possible for you before.
Traveling solo forces you to become your own hero, your own caretaker, and your own storyteller. You get to reinvent your own standards for yourself to become a braver, stronger and more independent person.
I’m definitely not the most social person in the room, but the people I’ve met on my solo ventures have created some lasting friendships and memories that I’ll always look back on fondly. I know that if I’d been traveling with a friend or family member, I probably wouldn’t have gotten the chance to meet some of these amazing individuals.
My Airbnb host in Southampton, England was kind and trusting enough to let me behind the wheel of his sailboat the whole 2 hour trip to the Isle of Wight. It was an amazing experience I would have missed out on had I decided to travel with a group.
4. More Reflection, Less Distraction
Taking some time to relax and enjoy the view of the ocean during a busy solo trip to Torrevieja, Spain. Though I hardly spoke any Spanish, I found the locals to be amazingly kind and very good at charades.
When traveling alone, there’s no rush, no expectation to get somewhere at a certain time or move on to something else. You can really take your time and soak everything in. Because you can go at your own pace, you’re able to take a minute when you need it and just enjoy the moment you’re living in.
For many of us, travel to a certain destination can be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, or at least a once-in-a-very-long-time one, and you will want to bask in every second of it, on your own time and in your own way.
5. You Learn a Lot About Yourself
As we travel and meet people, we discover a lot about ourselves as well. We learn what we like, what we dislike, what moves us and what we want from life. By observing new ways of living, we gain perspective on every aspect of our own existence and in turn discover more about the kind of person we truly are.
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Author
Bailey Quigley is a writer, photographer and Irish dancer from sunny Texas, USA. She has been traveling the world since age 17 and has since visited 20 different countries and counting. She started Sleeping On Trains to share her passion for discovery and offer some advice for restless adventurers just like her.
