Who hasn’t had a fight with their traveling companion(s) on a trip? Put your hand down, liar. But besides the petty quarrels, there is a whole lot more that you can dispense with when you hit the road on your own. But is it weird to travel alone? The answer is a resounding, “No!” Here are some of the reasons that I love to travel solo, and why you should try it for yourself.
Coordination? What Coordination?
Remember planning for your last group trip? You all dragged out your schedules and placed them side by side only to find a ton of things seemed impossible for your itinerary. All that squabbling and arguing because somehow, someone’s dates and responsibilities clashed. Recall what a pain it was to finally get everyone to settle on the schedule, the location and duration of every stop, and the costs? All the compromises left nobody 100% satisfied.
Say goodbye to all of that. As a solo traveler, the only logistics that matter are yours and yours alone. This is why solo trips are an excellent idea, especially for an impromptu vacation – they can be squeezed in whenever you can spare the time.
Plan? What Plan?
Exploring the world in a pair or group can be fun but there is no substitute for the true freedom that comes with solo travel. Want to spend an unplanned extra hour at the museum? Would you rather skip the museum altogether and check out street artists (or the pool bar) instead? Impromptu change of heart? Go for it! You’re the boss and every decision is the right one.
Solo travel is the perfect time to bid adieu to the well-trodden tourist track, too. There is always the pressure of ticking things off a list when you are with someone because explorers and tourists are ‘supposed to’, right? Not when you’re on your own.
Are you an unvaxxed traveler? We got you covered.
Immersion
I’ve found that I speak to more fellow tourists and locals when I am traveling alone. That’s definitely not a conscious decision. It’s just that most of us instinctively get into discussions of the places we discover and the things we see with our travel partners. In the absence of one, it is just natural that we strike up conversations with the other people around us.
This is just as true when you are not out exploring. Be it during a bumpy bus trip or as you tan on the beach, a lone traveler is naturally more likely to strike up a conversation with others. Pairs and groups traveling together tend to talk amongst themselves (especially when discussing the strangers around them instead of talking to them). Solo travel is a perfect chance to break out of that loop and meet new people.
Silence is Golden
Of course, travel isn’t just about connecting incessantly. Sometimes, you want to travel alone specifically because you need the solitude. When traveling with others, that’s not always possible. If your travel partner is in the mood to relate an exciting (to them) story or discuss the day and you’re in the mood for quiet, it can lead to unpleasantness.
If you are on your own, there is no possibility of conflict. You could just curl up with a book on a hammock or people-watch on the beach (sunnies on, naturally, so the objects of your attention don’t get a big head), or just gaze at the clouds as they drift past, appreciating nature in silence.
Quiet moments can be just as welcome when you are exploring. Whether it interrupts as you appreciate the fine brush strokes on a Renaissance painting at the Louvre, or try to figure out the millennia-old hieroglyphics on an Egyptian pyramid wall, conversation can break the magic of the moment.
When there is no one to distract you, it is possible to completely immerse yourself in that magical world. The odds are that you will never return so appreciate it to the fullest in silence.
Introspection
Have you realized that the most potent truths come to you in moments of quiet introspection? That the internal answers that you seek are best heard in moments of external silence? Traveling alone creates the unique combination of solitude and new places, people and experiences so conducive to quiet contemplation.
This combination of factors is especially fertile ground for creatives, who seem to soak up ideas and solutions that had long escaped them elsewhere. Whether you are looking for answers to your life or attempting to create something new, solo travel is a wonderful way to let both your subconscious and your imagination soar.
The Power of You
Traveling alone means there’s no safety net. No one to tell you to check if you have all your documents, ask if you remembered your keys, or warn you not to drink too much in a new place. You will have to do all that mothering yourself and it will grow you up in a hurry.
What that experience will also do is uncork a recognition of your own prowess in your mind. You will develop an appreciation of the fact that you can do complex things, and handle ups and downs all by your lonesome. Be warned, though. That sense of empowerment has a tendency to seep into all aspects of your life, and you may never be the same again.
Better Safe Than Sorry
A final word. Traveling solo can be an invigorating experience. However, there seems to be a recent trend of prominent publications encouraging women to travel to dodgy areas of the world that no solo traveler, particularly a single female, should. You owe it to yourself to not find out the hard way.
Discuss any prospective solo travel plans with family and friends. Search the news for incidents involving tourists that have happened in the regions you wish to explore. Don’t rely on revenue-motivated media to dictate how and where you travel. There is no shortage of absolutely stunning places in the world that are safe for the solo traveler.
That’s where you belong, at least once in your life.
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