Experience true independence.

When you're on I-65 or any major interstate all alone, you and you alone are solely responsible for your safety and getting where you need to go. Also, if something happens to you or your car (for example, I locked my keys in my car and had to call a locksmith to get them out), you're responsible for fixing the issue and getting back on the road.

Go at your own pace.

The best part of travelling by yourself is going at your own speed. Whether that means going 90 MPH on the interstate or stopping wherever and whenever you want, it's so much more relaxing to be in complete control of where you go and when you go.

Eat wherever you want!

While this does mean you should be smart about the restaurant you choose, it also means that if you want to go to a Chick-Fil-A 10 minutes out of the way, you can! I just drove along the road until I saw a sign for something that sounded good, and I know it's not where my family would have chosen to go if I was travelling with them.

You can listen to whatever music you want.

When I drive with my family (who has a very different music taste than me), I have to adapt what I play to fit their taste. When I took off on my own, I blasted old One Direction songs for four hours at a time and no one could tell me otherwise.

You can come and go as you please!

When I took my first solo road trip, I stayed an extra five days just because I could. It was very freeing to be completely in charge of where you go and when, and it makes your time there all the more enjoyable.