Benefits of Traveling Alone
Most people feel inclined to travel with a buddy for safety reasons and just to have some company but there’s definitely pros to doing it on your own.
Traveling alone allows you the freedom to do what YOU want. There won’t be any compromising on what activities to do that day, where to get your next meal, which hostel to stay in.. by choosing to go solo, your trip can be everything YOU want it to be without suggestions from the peanut gallery. The more people you travel with, the “judgement” or “suggestions” from the outside might sway you from doing what YOU actually want. I’d like to say I have a very adaptable personality, I just go with the flow ~ but even this was sometimes difficult for me; to constantly have to compromise on every aspect of the trip.
There’s also less drama when you’re traveling alone. There’s potential for some attitude and mood swings when you’re traveling with other people for an extended period of time; especially if you’re traveling with a bunch of girls & their cycles start to link up..! I mean, you spend every single day together, have to make decisions together, sometimes find yourselves in unfavorable situations .. that makes tensions rise and could be a recipe for disaster!
You’ll make more friends along your travels if you’re alone. If you have someone by your side the whole time, you won’t feel as pushed to introduce yourself to other travelers in your hostel. One of the best parts of traveling is forming relationships with people and leaving with new friends from other parts of the world!
Traveling alone can prove to be challenging too - you may find yourself in some difficult situations because you’re out of your comfort zone. If you’re alone, you’ll become more dependent on yourself yielding some major confidence and mental growth! You’ll learn to trust your own instincts and make decisions for yourself. This will help you later in other aspects of life when making important choices - you then realize it’s you who creates the reality around you and it’s significant to respect your own wants & needs.
Solo travel can also be cheaper. If you get to be the ultimate decision maker on what you spend your money on, you can choose the cheaper options for food, accommodations and activities. If your standards are lower than most people, you can get away with saving that extra $3 a night on a more basic hostel rather than the more expensive one with all the frills. Your money might take you further if you’re not making decisions with a group.
Lastly, you can reflect on the experience more deeply. Having some “me time” will allow for you to be in your thoughts more, really taking it all in. You will have the opportunity to really create your own narrative and to process what you’re seeing and doing. With other people joining you, it opens a door for someone else’s opinions to tamper with how you really feel.
Everyone owes it to themselves to RIDE SOLO ~ at least just once!