6 reasons why you have to travel solo at least once in your life
January 11, 2018
In my last blog about the most amazing travel feelings I stated that everyone should travel solo at least once in his or her life. I got a lot response on that. People asked me why they would travel alone when they have loved ones to share the experience with. While it’s wonderful to share a special trip and new experiences with friends, a partner or family, I really believe you should have the experience of traveling solo at least once in your life. Solo travel broadens your world. On the road on your own, you will learn a lot, about traveling, about the world and mostly about yourself. Here are 6 reasons why you have to travel solo at least once in your life.
1. You get to know yourself
Solo traveling allows you to listen to your thoughts and reflect on your dreams. Talking less, means going inwards more. Depending on the destination, a solo trip can be a powerful, introspective, life-changing experience. Imagine sitting on a peaceful beach at sunset or going on a long hike without having to make conversation with anyone. You will discover who you truly are and find dreams you didn’t even know you had.
2. Meeting new people
The biggest reason I still choose to travel solo is because it’s a great way to meet new people, especially locals. When you’re with others you tend to stick to your group. You are less open for meeting new people and you will miss the opportunity to bond with people from a different culture or background.
3. Perfect itinerary
When you travel with a group of even with a partner or friend, your itinerary is a compromise. Everyone wants to see or do something. And ofcourse it’s natural to compromise on that. When you travel alone you can do exactly what you want. When you like a place a lot you can stay a bit longer for more exploring and when it’s disappointing you continue traveling. The bottum line is: solo traveling allows you to do everything you want and nothing you don’t want.
4. It’s empowering
When you travel solo, you are totally responsible for yourself. And you will discover how capable you are. A successful solo trip can inspire you to tackle problems in life you’ve been afraid to deal with before. Solo travel will expand your soul. It’s liberating. You will realize that you can rely on yourself. It will help you to take responsibility on every aspect of your life. Ofcourse it’s not always easy, but you can’t have a destination without a journey. And you know what? Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.
5. You will learn to be more present
The mind’s autopilot switches off when confronted with new situations and environments. The world comes into sharper focus when you have to pay attention. Solo travel forces you to be aware and see the world around you, and not simply look at it passively. When you travel alone, it’s more natural to really dive into the experiences a new country or culture has to offer.
6. You will learn to trust your intuition
As you travel, you’ll sharpen your ability to read between the lines of situations and act with confidence. You will learn to trust your intuition and this is something that you can use in every day life. Deep down you know what is right for you. And what you need. You will learn to trust the little voice in your head or the feeling in your stomach that confirms what you actually already knew! As Albert Einstein said: ‘The only real valuable thing is intuition.’
I hope this blog gives you enough reasons to consider a travel on your own. Most of our daily experiences are confined to finite, predictable patterns of places, people and things. Pushing beyond our norm reveals a world is far more wonderful and unexpected than we realize. Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone. Too many people settle for far too little adventure in their life, and they choose existing over truly living. Don’t be one of them!
