We are all surrounded by people. We work with them, we socialize with them daily. We also need a break from them and traveling solo seems to be a perfect way to know yourself better, leave your comfort zone and go into the wild, get to know other people, hike, dance, learn to cook, smile, talk to strangers, eat new food and see the sunrise on the beach.
“I think it’s very healthy to spend time alone. You need to know how to be alone and not be defined by another person.”
Oscar Wilde
Wise words. Being alone on the road gives you an opportunity to gain valuable experience about the world, people, food, foreign customs and traditions.
You stop being ignorant and start appreciating things you might have never noticed. You open your heart. You become more of a listener than speaker.
Why should we all travel solo at least once a year?
Most of “steady Eddy” people can’t imagine themselves traveling on their own so they always take their friends with them, partners or join the organised group trips.
Why?
There are many reasons such as It’s scary! I don’t want to feel lonely! I need a buddy to have a beer with! Who would take pictures of me!? (that’s me).
Nevertheless, traveling solo is getting more and more common as it can be a lot of fun and more unique experience for adventure hunters.
Actually, the advantages of traveling solo are enormous.
#1 Learn more about yourself. Discover yourself
Once you set off on a solo journey to unknown place, you start getting to know yourself much better.
You are on your own.
You start listening to your heart and you are finally able to achieve some level of internal equilibrium and focus of mind.
You start to discover yourself once again – things you are capable of, things you are afraid or scared of. You face your fears and you defeat them.
There is no stress around and you feel alive.
#2 Make new friends & speak to strangers
When we travel with companions, we tend to stick to that group of people and even though we try our best to get to know new people, the dynamics and interactions will certainly not be as deep and fulfilling.
I’ve noticed that when I am on my own on the road, I’m definitely more eager to chat with locals, meet travel buddies, team up with other travelers and generally reach out more in order to socialize. It seems so natural.
Traveling solo definitely enables you to speak directly to some locals and stop being shy with people. In this way, you can make new friend and gain valuable insider knowledge about wherever you are.
#3 Experience new things
When you travel solo, people are more open and direct with you. Thus, you can experience more new things than you would when traveling with someone.
People will invite you home and welcome you warmly in their place. They will share everything they have with you, sometimes giving you more than they possess.
You will notice their smile and small gestures you often ignore when traveling with someone else by your side.
#4 Freedom. Peace. Flexibility
It is better to travel alone than with a bad companion.
When you travel on your own, you are definitely more flexible with time, next destination and decisions you make.
You team up with travel buddies you like the most and end up expanding your travel plans.
You are free to change your plans whenever you want to.
You are free to sleep as long as you want to.
You can hitchhike, hike, dance on the beach, change your destination at last minute without stress and compromises.
When you travel, you are open to change and you will welcome it with open arms. No more fitting into a group’s agenda.
No more explanations or disappointing anyone. You just follow rhythm, heart and mind.
#5 Loneliness? What’s that?
In fact, when traveling solo, you will never feel lonely. Once you get to any hostel or hotel and you will see plenty of solo travelers who are in the same boat.
You all travel for the same reasons, you all miss home at some point and you all want to experience new things. It is incredible to see how much you have in common with people who you have not met before.
You get to know each other, you make friends and keep in touch. We meet once again after some time in a different place and you all laugh at all of these awkward and unforgettable moments you shared together.
#6 Overcome your fears & challenge your insecurities
What does not kill you, makes you stronger and that’s so true. When you are left on your own, you start fighting for what really matters to you.
You overcome the fear of heights, darkness, spiders or even new food. The more you travel, the less you fear. As long as you make regular solo trips, you will feel more confident each time, no matter what your fear is which is also a good excuse to travel regularly.
Pro tip: while pushing your boundaries and going beyond what you’re comfortable is highly encouraged and will most likely benefit you in the long run, there are some risks you are going to face. Try not to face them unprepared. Consider a Travel Insurance!
#7 Indulge in anything you want without being judged
Without a doubt, eating is one of the most enjoyable aspects of travel. Be it street food or in a restaurant. Once you start traveling solo, you also start appreciating food more and you will end up eating things that you would normally not eat at home.
You become more adventurous with food. You can finally take in all the Thai pad thai, Italian pizza, Belgian macaroons and Chinese dumplings you find on your travels if you so desire without worrying about other people noticing!
#8 Save money
In most cases, you can find traveling solo cheaper than traveling with someone.
Why?
Nobody teases you with local delicacies so it is easier to resist the temptation and spend less money on food (my case). You are also more likely to buy less souvenirs and useless gadgets.
More importantly, your travel companion might prefer more convenient and expensive way of traveling and it’s sometimes awkward to say “Sorry, it’s too expensive for me”.
#9 Gain confidence
When you travel solo you might face various problems, make decisions and even take some risk on your own.
All these situations will, with no doubts, make you stronger, braver and much more confident though.
Being alone on the road is a great challenge and as we know the challenges make us grow stronger and wiser not only as travelers but also as human-beings.
When traveling on your own you can learn many skills such as time management and decision making.
#10 No drama
How many times did you argue with your travel buddies?
How many times did you have to meet him/her half-way?
If things do not go well, the entire trip can be a miserable, drama-filled time you’d love to forget. There is no drama when you travel on your own. No arguments. No fights.
To sum up, we should not be scared to set off for a solo journey!
For some people it might be a tough decision and a weird feeling for the first days of solo expedition, but at the end of the day you will not regret it as it’s much more adventurous and challenging, it shapes your personality and gives you enormous possibilities to test yourself.
Have you ever travelled solo? How beneficial was it for you?
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105 thoughts on “10 Benefits Of Traveling Solo At Least Once A Year”
These are all reasons why I like travelling alone! Nice post!
I definitely enjoy solo travel, and agree it’s easy to meet people at hostels, or when out and about. It’s too easy to form a “bubble” and just stick with your travel partner, and miss out on a lot of opportunities. I’m gearing up for a solo trip to SE Asia around January!
Meeting different people in hostels is the best thing ever!
Lovely post and I love the way do it, Agness ;)
Indeed, we can do all of these when traveling alone.
I generally travel alone, but I often find company while on the trip.
Traveling solo helps me follow my own instinct, my wishes, building the itinerary that I wish. Both in time and space, I feel total flexibility.
“No drama”? Well, that’s generally true, but in my case I rarely do bite my nails on what I could have done differently.
Sometimes I do argue in my mind – with myself Ha ha :)
Love your photo on freedom, peace, flexibility.
Traveling alone feels so relaxing and I often just sit down an relax.
It’s so enjoyable, I almost never feel that good back home.
I guess solo travel sounds simple and lonely, but in fact it’s a lot more colourful and complex than the boring typical organized group tourism.
I have always traveled solo and I LOVE IT!
No one tells me what to do or where to go. And meeting new friends has never been a problem. :-)
Solo travels are so rewarding!!
I agree with all these points. I just returned from a trip just a week in spain. Traveling alone always gives you the opportunity to meet new people and especially about themselves :)
So great to hear that!
I love this post :) // I love travel Solo
:-)
Most of our daily experience is confined to a finite, predictable pattern of places, people, and things. Pushing beyond our norm reveals a world is far more wonderful and unexpected than we realize.
its so great to came across your post as i am going to start my first solo journey in September!Honestly i am kind of being anxious since i made up this decision, that’s why i am trying to search some post about other people the solo travel experience, trying to gain more courage from them,lol~ Anyway, i have book the air ticket and hotel,hope everything go well!
Agness,
Thank you so much for writing this and sharing some of your experiences. I mostly do backpacking out in the wilderness and national parks. Reading this article helped me to make the connection that travel backpacking is not much more different than what i am already doing in the wilderness.
Your article has effectively inspired me to think of planning my own solo trip to another country or even to another part of my own country.
I look forward to reading more of your stories and articles. Thank you again.
This is a very true article, because yes, solo travel will open you up immensely especially when we’re young women doing it. That said, you forgot something:
Snake. What the hell did that taste like?
I can see photos relating to the Philippines! Yay! I love your post, very informative.
Travelling may cost a bit up front, but the benefits from taking a solo trip at least once in your life could actually end up making you money in the long run. Many of the benefits of travelling can help further your career and end up in a pay raise.
I travel alone all the time. It’s awesome to be able to do what you want to do when you want to do it. When I travel with others, I often find myself altering my plans in order to be more accommodating to them. I love the freedom associated with being alone!!!!
Great post!Once you start traveling solo no one can stop you. I am going to share this with my friends who are afraid of traveling solo. Thanks a lot for sharing such motivating post.
I actually don’t see any other way of travelling. Some people think it’s crazy for whatever reason, but it’s very liberating as it mentions in the article. You’re forced to rely on your soul instincts as opposed to relying on your comfort zone which can get dull real quick. You meet people otherwise you never would’ve met, and it all adds to the adventure of new experiences.
But then again, I’m a very independent person, so I wouldn’t expect everyone to enjoy the luxuries of personal time. Friendships are nice, but the space and time to do whatever YOU want is my definition of TRUE freedom.. Something I feel that people lack these days.
Thank you very much for these tips! I’m planning a trip to Europe next summer and I want to go by myself. My whole family is very nervous about me being on my own. They keep suggesting that I find someone to go with me but I feel I need time to leave all comforts of home for a few days. My main goal is to be able to find the confidences to interact with people in way I can back home. I want to break away from my shyness and be able to make friends without fear. These tips really show what a liberating feel it is to venture on your own and I know it’ll be a positive experience for me to embark on a trip by myself. I’ll keep this list in mind when I’m out there on my own. Thanks for the excellent tips :)
Nice article, I am thinking of travelling alone now , thank you for boosting up my confidence – from Pakistan
Nice article, I am thinking of travelling alone now , thank you for boosting up my confidence,
In urdu language Writing articles about your journey is called as “Safarnama” safar means travel and nama means story .. Visual interpretation of traveling .. From Pakistan
I Love it! I guess I need to try solo travel to improve myself. I am too childish for 20 years old girl. Could someone help me, I have a problem about managing my budget. I have worked for 2 years but I still cannot manage my daily budget. It isn’t because I spend my money for hangout, but it because I want my family happy. I never want to see them bored staying home all day, so I take them to a place or cook something. The question is what should I do to save money to start my journey to be a solo traveler?
Thanks :)
An article worth reading. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Hope it will help me in my solo trip.
Thanks.