Solo Travel: 8 Reasons Why It’s Okay to Travel Alone

Traveling is a thrilling activity that knows no age (with the exception of infants and toddlers, of course). If you’ve been caught by the travel bug, whether you are someone in your 20s or 60s, you’ll defy the odds and go wherever your feet will take you. The way you travel is entirely up to you. You should let no one dictate how you want to take an adventure unless you prefer to go on a trip with other people like your friends and your family.

I’m not saying it’s a bad thing to let someone dictate how you go about your travel plans. It may be a good thing actually for those who go through a hard time in making decisions. However, if you want to spice up the way you travel, why not take a solo trip? I believe it’s a revolutionary form of traveling that gives you the freedom to do whatever you want and however you want it.

Why Take a Solo Trip?

It’s cool to have a companion when you travel. There’s someone beside you that you can ask when you’re getting lost or someone to take your pictures!

But sometimes, having someone to travel with stirs more complications. When you are on your own, you can mind your own pace and do your own thing without having to think about your companions. You don’t need to wake up earlier than anyone else because of schedule restrictions. This time, you move on your own time. Finally.

The joy of taking a solo trip springs from one advantage to another, but let me begin by saying how liberating it is to explore a new city, or climb a mountain for the first time with nothing to think about but yourself.

It’s not a selfish thing to do. It’s self-care. And we all need that every so often.

So You Can Go Out of Your Comfort Zone

If you’re so used to having someone go with you every time you visit a foreign country or a different island, traveling alone might give you the opportunity to step out of your comfort zone.

It’s a refreshing take on how you travel. It definitely might scare you out, but nothing ever grows by staying just within the comforts of their safe space. This could be perfect for you to challenge yourself into doing something that you never realized you could.

Makes You a Better Traveler

When you’re all by yourself and figuring out a foreign map, you know full well that you have no one to rely on when you mix things up. You have no other choice but to man up and be a better traveler.

Whether it is about finding the right train station, being faced with the dilemma of losing your valuables, or figuring out what’s the best carry-on luggage to bring during the trip, traveling alone gives you that sense of responsibility to support yourself well enough for the entire duration of your vacation. It’s about learning how to troubleshoot small to big problems. Trust me; it’s fulfilling.

It Will Boost Your Confidence

Are you the anxious type of traveler who worries about every single thing? Well, try solo travel as a remedy for your anxiety.

When you’re on your own and in a different country, it gives you this sense of confidence that’s unexplainable. It makes you feel more good about yourself and more assured that you can conquer anything that comes your way. I would say it’s the foreign air, but I’m sure there is no available scientific study to back that up.

You become strong-willed and independent once you’re out of your home country, thus minimizing, if not completely eliminating, your anxious thoughts.

Less Drama

People create drama. And when you’re alone, there’s no one to create drama but yourself. That is only if you want to complicate your trip with irrelevant issues.

When you prefer to fly solo and experience an adventure alone, you can rest assured that you would encounter less drama. You have no one to argue with about where to eat, why the other woke up late, or who should blame who.

Next thing you know, you’re packing up your things earlier than your scheduled trip back home because everything went down the drain in just a snap—and no one wants that. I’d take a drama-free trip any day! And you should, too.

For More Meaningful Experiences

The memories you get when you decide to travel alone is completely yours alone to cherish. It’s nice to have something for yourself and not share it with anyone else sometimes, like a secret joy of some sort that no one would get but you.

Meet New People

Being sociable varies from person to person. Sometimes, you can be sociable at home, but when you go out, you’re shy as a mushroom. Sometimes, it goes the other way around.

But because traveling alone gives you that confidence boost you didn’t know you had in you, you become more sociable as well. It surprisingly becomes easy for you to talk to people, ask for directions, and sometimes even make a small conversation with them.

While solo travel gives you a perfect chance to meet new people, it doesn’t put any pressure on you to create instant relationships with people you just met. It’s as simple as having someone to talk to while waiting for the next bus to arrive, or sharing a table with another tourist at a restaurant.

But then again, it’s not limited to that. There’s a possibility to meet a friend for a lifetime or your soulmate.

Solo Travel Is Meditation and Self-Reflection

Spending time alone with yourself is a chance to get to know more about who you are and who you are becoming.

Self-reflection is one of the best reasons why I also love traveling solo. It gives me time to think about the decisions I’ve made in the last few months or so that has led me to where I am now.

So You can Take Full Responsibility of Your Life

When you’re out there, all alone and with no one to turn to when things go south, you take full responsibility for your life. It makes you more vigilant and independent. This way, you’ll know what to do when you choose to embark on that journey without a companion. You have no one to blame when you encounter an itinerary mishap or a lodging problem. It’s you, and you should resolve it on your own.

It’s a fun learning process, but to be honest, it’s also terrifying. But who cares if it’s terrifying when the best thing that you’ll gain during the experience is a pair of full-bodied wings ready to take on the world.