Why You Should Travel Alone

Last year I discovered solo travel for myself and ever since it has been my favorite form of travel. There are so many reasons why you should travel alone.
These are just a few of them.

You are free!

I thought I would start with the best aspect first: freedom. When traveling alone you have the ultimate freedom to do whatever you want to do and be whoever you want to be.
There is no one around, telling you what you should or shouldn’t do.
There is truly nothing as liberating as traveling alone.

You have the freedom to grow and discover who you are

Have you ever been too afraid of voicing a certain opinion or doing a certain thing, simply because that’s not who you are? Oh, but isn’t it?
We get so wrapped up in other people’s ideas of ourselves that we never really get to explore who we really are.
When traveling alone, there is no one around who expects you to be a certain way.
You have the freedom to be whoever you want to be and try out new things.
There is so much growth that can be happening if you just let it.

You meet new people

Traveling alone doesn’t mean that you will be on your own 24/7. You will meet tons of incredible people from all over the world that you wouldn’t have met otherwise.
It’s the people that make solo traveling so special.
You literally end up meeting some of the best people in the world.
They change the way you think and challenge you in so many ways.
Sometimes you even end up getting along with these people better than with your friends at home.
Even if you think that you are the least sociable person ever and doubt you will make any friends at all, trust me, you will. Making friends abroad really is as easy as travel bloggers and vloggers say it is. Just go and see for yourself!

You are more approachable

This goes back to the previous point.
When you’re on your own, you are so much more approachable for other people and meet way more people than you would’ve if you were traveling with a friend.

You don’t have to compromise for anything

You can make up your own agenda and don’t need to compromise for anything.
Feeling like sleeping in? You go, girl!
Want to go bungee jumping? Who’s stopping you?!
You want to party 3 days in a row? Rock that shit, babe!
Don’t wanna go out today? Guess what! Nobody’s stopping you.

You learn so many valuable things

– You learn more independence
– How you can solve a problem on your own
– Not to stress about things that go wrong
– You learn about other cultures and languages
And so many more things that I cannot possibly name in one little section!

It broadens your horizons

When traveling alone you ultimately have to immerse yourself in the culture of the country you are in and you kind of have to approach other people.
That can really help broaden your horizons and keep an open mind about other people, their cultures and beliefs.
You learn and you grow.

It increases your self-confidence

If you are generally a quiet and shy person, I can almost guarantee you that solo travel will help you overcome that.
Solo travel can be the ultimate confidence booster.
Once you learn to manage the public transit system in Bangkok and spend a homeless night with a new friend you made on a night bus, trust me, you can do anything.
You will realize that starting conversations with people becomes a lot easier and you don’t feel as uncomfortable in crowds anymore.

You have time to reflect

If you are in a state of not knowing what to do with your life, you are unhappy or conflicted about something, traveling alone can give you the space you need to reflect in peace and think about what it is that you really want to do.
That’s why so many young people nowadays take gap years.
There is nothing like putting 10.000km between yourself and your problems. This doesn’t mean that you are running away from your problems in any way, it simply gives you enough space to put things into perspective

Solo travel can improve your mental health

I have personally always struggled with depression and traveling alone certainly helped me a lot. Of course, it didn’t cure my depression, but it did help me put things in perspective and work on a more positive mindset. It made me find effective ways of dealing with depression and anxiety.

You learn to find comfort outside your comfort zone

By traveling alone, you are constantly putting yourself out into the world and living outside your comfort zone.
You are comfortable in traditionally uncomfortable situations and this really helps you grow as a person.

It’s fun!

Solo travel is simply a lot of fun! You will have the time of your life – whether that’s partying all night in Koh Phi Phi, jumping off cliffsides or playing cards in your hostel common room – you will enjoy yourself and have the time of your life!

It makes you a braver person

When traveling alone, you are constantly getting out of your comfort zone and conquering your fears. Whether that means going bungee jumping or simply talking to strangers, doesn’t matter.
All of these experiences ultimately make you a braver person.

You learn independence

You will never be this free!
Traveling alone teaches you one of the most valuable lessons in life – independence.
Some people are born solo travelers, others struggle in the beginning because they are simply not used to being on their own.
It’s the ultimate moment of growth and learning independence.

I acknowledge that not everyone will want to hop around the world on their own for months and months on end, but I would HIGHLY encourage anyone to travel alone at least once in their lives. Even if it’s just a little weekend getaway.
Some people will catch the solo-travel-bug, others will probably not enjoy the experience as much.
Either way, I still believe that you will grow from this experience and learn something that will stick with you for the rest of your life!