In your late teens and early 20s, many college students fall victim to the Travel Bug. With newfound freedom from parents and desires to experience unknown places, it is not surprising that one would feel the need to hop on a plane and go explore a city across the country. However, sometimes it is difficult to find a travel buddy or a family member that is interested in going to the same place at the same time you are. There is a simple solution to this, one which I highly suggest. Solo Travel.
While the idea might be scary at first, there is a lot to gain out of experiencing an environment other than your own ON YOUR OWN. When taking the proper safety precautions, especially as a girl, you can have the time of your life and even come to learn a lot about yourself. The following are ten reasons you should solo travel at least once while you are in your college years.
1) Trip planning is easier
When traveling as a party of one, everything becomes simple. Last minute seats on flights are not hard to find; hotels, AirBnB's, and hostels are in abundance; reservations for a party of one at that bomb restaurant are more readily available than those for a party of three.
2) You can boost your confidence
When I recently made a trip out to Los Angeles alone to tour a few law schools in the area, I was a little nervous. Being a 20 year old girl that weighs less than 100 pounds, safety is something I always have to seriously take into account, at home or elsewhere. Having the upper body strength equivalent to that of a potato, I know to do my research on areas I intend on staying and on places and attractions I intend on going. LA is not the safest of areas, this is a known fact. But because I took proper precautions I found that I could walk down the street without feeling as if I had to constantly look over my shoulder.
3) You can experience independence
Anyone that knew me in high school knows I grew up in a very protective and sheltered home environment (sorry mah, I love you endlessly but you were over protective). When I went away to a university that was a six hour drive from home, I got a taste of independence and desperately wanted more, in the most responsible of ways, of course. Solo Travel granted me that level of independence I craved by forcing me to be self-reliant and ultimately a responsible adult. Traveling alone forced me to have to do everything for myself, whether it be asking for directions, struggling through a butchered conversation in Spanish, or asking that passerby to take an awesome Instagram photo for you--in my case, I just became overly comfortable with a selfie stick. Yes, I was THAT tourist.
4) You can save money
Travel for one is cheaper than that of travel for two or more. Instead of getting that hotel room with two beds, you can get the one with a single bed or even consider a hostel if you are feeling adventurous. Instead of having to rent a car to accommodate everyone, you can make use of ride sharing services like Uber and Lyft.
5) You can learn to work with a budget
When I travelled with my friend, my budget completely and utterly went to Hell in a handbasket. When I travelled alone to the same place for a longer period of time, I was nearly 200 dollars under budget. I'll just leave it at that.
6) You can nurture yourself
I am a strong believer in the power of "me time." Always have been and always will be. Traveling alone allows for an individual to not only come completely appreciate their surroundings, but also provides the ability to rest and recharge while taking in all that your destination has to offer.
