Some people cannot understand why anyone would want to travel alone. To some, the idea of travelling on your own is downright scary or just unthinkable.
It is wonderful to spend a holiday with family, friends, or a loved one. But when you travel solo, it will open up a whole new world you never know existed.
Here’s 7 reasons why travelling solo can help you grow as a person.
You will be more confident
If you’re someone who can’t imagine eating alone or go snorkeling all by yourself, travelling solo with change all that. When you are alone, you will put your worries aside and your confidence will grow as you go along. You will no longer care about what people might think or let your fears get the best of you. Instead, you will not want to let opportunities slide past you. It will be a challenge at first, but you will enjoy doing things on your own once you get used to it. You can always take baby steps and start with somewhere closer to home. As long as you feel safe and comfortable, nothing should stop you from giving it a shot!
You will adapt to different situations
Things don’t always go as planned. Sometimes your flight will get delayed. Sometimes it rains when you’re all set for the beach. These setbacks might frustrate you when you’re back home, but when you’re far away, you will learn to make the best of every situation or adapt simply because you have no other choice. And when you learn to accept that sometimes things can go haywire, you will be more accustomed to going with the flow and letting go of high expectations.
You will learn not to sweat the small stuff
Being in a foreign place will challenge you in many ways. It will help you complain less and appreciate more. You will learn to be more tolerant. Even when the water supply shuts off for a couple of hours, the Wi-Fi doesn’t work all night, or the electricity is only available from evening to early morning. The more you travel alone, the more you will learn to relax when things go south. You will be able to let things go and think of the bigger picture instead. Your reason for being there.
You will relax more
When you travel by yourself, you are in charge of how you spend your time. You don’t need to rush or do anything you don’t really want to. With all that time for yourself, you will be able to clear your head and simply be in the moment. Chilling on the beach till the sun sets. Getting a 2-hour massage. People watching from a small café. You have the freedom to do whatever you want without any distractions.
You will discover what you love
Because there’s no one there to decide things for you, the freedom will allow you to do what you’re actually interested in or have always wanted to try. A visit to the museum. A jewelry-making class. A PADI course. You are bound to learn new things and fall in love with something you’ve never considered before.
You will learn to depend on no one but yourself
You tend to rely on others when you’re in your comfort zone. When you travel solo, you have no choice but to depend on your own gut. If you never cared much for maps before, you will learn to get along with one. If you’re afraid of taking public transportation at night, you will learn to put your fears aside. Travelling alone will make you more independent and a stronger person.
You will feel liberated
When you end up doing something you never thought you could, you will get a sense of satisfaction so great it would make you believe you’re capable of doing anything. You will feel unstoppable and free. Once you get a taste of this amazing feeling, you will eventually want to travel alone again because nothing beats the empowerment it gives. It can even be addictive!
