If all your vacations up until this point have been with friends, family or a partner, you’re certainly not alone. Most of us plan trips with other people so we can share the experience with someone else and for security. But there are some surprising benefits to taking at least one trip on your own, without your safety net or the guaranteed company of someone else.
Check out the following five reasons why you should give solo traveling at least a try.
1. You’ll Be Incredibly Inspired
No one wants to go on vacation and come back without at least one good story, and without another person, you’ll be the only one there to make one happen!
While you don’t want to end up in hot water, go for a little adventure on your solo trip. Try something you’ve never done before, as you may find yourself with a little extra courage and curiosity when you’re not in a familiar group.
Another angle of inspiration on solo travel is the connection you can feel with others. Since you’re on your own, you may find yourself interacting with strangers more than you would have if you went away with other people you knew.
Reconnect with the idea that humans, regardless of where and who they are, are all fundamentally the same at the very core. We share fears and want the same basic things, like love and security. With this common bond in your mind, allow yourself to be open to meeting and learning from new people while you’re away.
2. You’ll Grow As A Person
Being on a trip by yourself drives home the reality that you have to do things for yourself. If you want to learn about another culture, for instance, you can take all the guided tours you like, but you’ll need to be more open and adventurous to truly experience what that culture is like.
Don’t let fears or uncertainly hold you back from trying new and unfamiliar things. After all, your friends and family back home won’t know if you embarrassed yourself a bit unless you tell them about it!
Single traveling allows you to expand as a person. Many people live day by day in a similar routine with the same people and places all around. Breaking up that routine and being in unfamiliar places with people you’ve never met is a true jolt to your soul. Use this opportunity to move yourself out of your comfort zone and live life more fully.
You’ll also learn to live more in the moment, a natural result of being a stranger in a strange land. Even if you don’t notice it, you’re likely not paying much attention to what’s around you at home anymore.
There are only so many times you’ll notice you’re passing the same grocery store on your daily drive to work. Take in the environment, the people and the places with the sharper eye and focus you’ll have on your trip just by virtue of going somewhere different on your own.
3. You’ll Gain Perspective
Seeing yourself from the outside in is pretty difficult, and the same goes for the life you’re accustomed to. While you’re traveling, talk to other people, not just about their culture, but also your own. Observe daily life somewhere else to gain a new perspective on how you live and what other people experience.
This can have a profound effect on how you view life when you get back home, so put your new mindset into good use once you get back! Take the lessons you’ve learned while on your trip and incorporate them into your daily life.
4. You’ll Feel Free
True freedom can be a little elusive. Even if you’ve got legal liberty, you still may be in the prison of other people’s and society’s expectations. While you’re traveling alone, these rules don’t apply. Be open and embrace the feeling of being unchained by what people around you think.
Don’t worry about what people you know might say if they saw you, as they’re only a presence in your mind when you’re a single traveler.
5. You’ll Trust Yourself
Google maps will only get you so far when you’re on your own. You’ll have to trust yourself and have a little confidence. Allow yourself to trust your own instincts and build up your belief in yourself. While you might be used to relying on others or second-guessing yourself, use this trip to learn to rely on yourself instead.
