5 Things I learned about myself while traveling alone
Ever since I was a young girl, I was enthralled with exploring the world and the lessons you could learn outside your home. This desire to learn was nurtured around my family dinner table where an enormous rustic looking map of the world functioned as a tablecloth. Each evening I would point at a new country and ask my parents about what it was like, what was different, and what you could see there. This love of exploration and learning only continued into my University education, and I distinctly remember one of my professors telling me that ‘living or traveling in another country for 6 months was equivalent to 2 years of University education.’ While I’m not sure of the exact ratio (whether 3 months equals one year of education or more), I am a firm believer that there is a wealth of knowledge available to you when you travel – especially when you travel solo. Whether you are traveling solo as a female or male, here are my travel tips – the top 5 things I’ve learned about myself while traveling solo.
1) Traveling is rewarding | As I have traveled from country to country I have discovered that it is always more rewarding to share your travel experiences with someone else. Many people ask, is traveling alone fun? Traveling alone offers a good balance between “you” time and having the opportunity to make local friends, but there’s a healthy balance to be struck. Be open minded, find the courage to travel abroad, and you will meet locals and other travelers who want to be your friends. As a solo female (or male) you will find that there are a lot of other single travelers who are just like you – waiting to meet other travelers on their overseas adventure travels.
2) Making local friends is easy | You would be surprised how rewarding it is to make new friends on your travels. Although you will be traveling alone (without a travel buddy), that does not mean that you won’t be surrounded by locals and other fellow travelers who may end up becoming lifelong friends. I have found that by simply learning a few words in the local language, or by learning how to cook traditional foods you can easily strike up a conversation and make friends. People appreciate it when you try to understand them and embrace their culture.
3) Alone Time is Healthy | One of the top questions I get is, will I feel lonely if you travel alone? We spend so much of our time with other people (either in-person or online) and it is therapeutic to be able to step away from that all and have some free time. When you travel, you finally have the chance to truly unplug. You don’t have a phone ringing all the time, you don’t have your phone vibrating with text messages, and you don’t have unlimited wifi to constantly be checking in on your favorite shows. While traveling you have time to really be alone and that can bring peace as you step back from everything that distracted you back home.
4) Learning to Face my Fears | Traveling has helped me trust my intuition and become more confident, not only as a solo traveler but also as an individual. Many travelers (especially female travelers) are fearful when they step into a new country, new culture, or new experience. The beauty of travel is that it forces you to learn something new and it forces you to trust in yourself and your instincts and intuition. Whether you are staying in a single room or sharing a space with other travelers – you have the opportunity to meet new people everyday. This can be a scary experience for some, you get to try new foods, and you get to decide where you go and what you do each day. Traveling teaches you how to make decisions and empowers you to face your fears, especially as a single woman traveling alone.
5) The World isn’t Scary & people are (mostly) Good | Despite what the media may say, the world (for the most part) is a beautiful, safe place to explore. During my travels I have found one thing to be true, and that is the fact that all people around the world genuinely want to do good. The beauty about travel is that it teaches travelers to be open minded, helps break down stereotypes, and allows travelers to see the world in a positive light. It is true that bad things happen, but had things happen everywhere -even in your backyard. You will find that stepping out of your comfort zone to explore the world is one of the easiest ways to build confidence.
If you are about to embark as a world traveller on a solo journey, remember that traveling is rewarding and traveling alone has many benefits. You will make a lot of new friends and having some ‘you-time’ is healthy -not to mention you’ll learn to face your fears. The world is a beautiful place full of good people, so get out and explore it!
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This has also been my experience. Traveling was encouraged in my family and I have done it for over fifty years. Many of those trips have been solo and I have loved each one of them. I have found that traveling makes me more open minded, more tolerant and more grateful for everything that I experience. Thanks for sharing such valuable insights that could inspire others to travel.
I am so glad that you enjoyed the article! What incredible experiences you are having!
Love this! 🙂
Thanks 🙂 It was great to share!
A little intellectual honesty is appreciated. I don’t think I got it here. We travel for various reasons but growth, life-long friendships, or any of the other often cited reasons are not a given. If you are a person who makes friends everytime you leave your house in your home-city than yes you certainly might make "life-long" friends when you travel. But more often than not you will not. Traveling solo can lonely and scary and there is nothing wrong with that. Wandering aimless can indeed be dangerous and point should always be kept in mind and acknowledged. "Alone time" can be found anywhere; not only when traveling. Suggesting that is one attribute of traveling alone is true; it is also true when you are alone in your own bedroom. I travel for the most trite of reasons: to claim I have been/seen one place or another. And that is as valid as any high minded assertions suggested by a travel blogger. Travel if you wish or must but do so for your own reasons not because someone suggest it would be good for you.
Miami-Sid the title is "5 Things I learned about myself while traveling solo". Operative word being "myself", so of course each point might not apply to you or me. That said, in my own experience I have found that solo travel has indeed found within me qualities I didn’t know I had. Qualities which likely would not have been revealed by simply having "alone time" in my bedroom.
Hi Joshua! I really appreciate your comment – I 100% agree 🙂
Like Kylie and several others, I find solo travel (going on a trip without companion(s)) leads to lots of experiences and triggering self-growth and introspection. One might be perceived as inflexible or arrogant for not wanting to be subject to another’s schedule or whims, but the adventure of seeing something (again or for the first time) on your own can outweigh the instant gratification/reinforcement of sharing with someone you know. I find my memories are better when there’s no one to compare the experiences with, as I have to rely on me.
Watching groups travel along similar paths, I see little effort to reach out to the locals: there is always someone in the group who will get the group shot, while if I want a good photo of me in situ, I need to ask and that opens me up to meeting someone and maybe even to learn more. Sitting solo in a restaurant writing in my journal has opened more conversations with locals who are curious about me and become fascinated with my itinerary – some I am able to keep in touch with for years.
We hear about comfort zones – folks choose to stay within their tight circles, and they need the support of a known group. Others are more gregarious, meeting folks everywhere and can strike up a conversation anywhere. Most are somewhere in between, so I suggest one travel the way one is most comfortable, but be open to both sharing a trip, and trying it solo – pick your trip and give it a try.
This is such a wonderful comment, I am glad that you were able to step out of your comfort zone and make such incredible memories!
I totally agree with you but unfortunately there are people surounding me, kind of psichopaths that are really interested on showing me the most awful and bad things around the world… although I’ll never stop travelling and learning as you say. Congrats for doing what you want! Best wishes for your next travel.
Best wishes to you as well Jose!
Love this post. I have traveled all over the world alone. Others think I cam crazy, but I love to travel, and I feel like others hold me back.
It is great to travel with friends too, but when I want to go and nobody else does, I go alone.
Hi Carrie! Being empowered to travel on your own definitely is fulfilling in ways we could never imagine! Thank you so much for sharing!
Thanks, this helps, leery of "being scammed" by "corrupt" locals, & customs, otherwise Open to local scenes, locale, museums etc. Or timing to catch bus to sights or back to airport etc.
Overwhelming indeed,
Feel OK about solo travel to EU, mine is Asia big time.
Only barrier to solo travels are: Money & Time.
Have been to UK,France, Italy, Norway, Spain, Canal Zone, Mexico.
(again some in Navy, some with kin).
SWM, 63.
Thanks for sharing Stephen! Those barriers can often make it difficult to travel – but I am glad you are making efforts to do so!