My sense of wanderlust has grown exponentially since moving from my hometown, and although I love to travel and make memories with friends, I have found that with a sense of wanderlust and adventure as strong as mine, I often find myself traveling alone. There's many reasons for this such as friends not having time in the schedules, bank account balances, and my tendency to plan these adventures on a whim with little notice. However, I have found that the trips that I have embarked on by myself have been some of my greatest adventures.
With that said, I know that the thought of traveling alone can be terrifying to some, especially women, yet I'm here to give you five reasons on why traveling alone can actually be a great experience!
1. No Schedules
As many people who have planned a group trip know, combining and fitting a trip into multiple schedules is an absolute nightmare, and planning an itinerary that works for everyone is near impossible. When traveling alone you set your own schedule, and you can take in all of your surroundings without anyone rushing you, allowing you to truly experience where you are. You can wake up whenever you want to begin your day of exploration, and stay out as late as you want, allowing you to truly get the most out of your experience!
2. You Can Go Wherever You Want Whenever You Want
Another nightmare to group trips is picking activities that everyone is interested in, which often leaves some sights that you or others may really want to see out of the itinerary. One experience I had of this was in London on a study abroad trip. I desperately wanted to go to King's Cross Station to see Platform 9 3/4 (for all of you Harry Potter fans), and soon learned that I was the only person in the group interested in going. Had I not deviated from the group for a solo adventure, I would have never gotten to see this iconic site, which I must mention was totally worth the hour wait in line for my photo. When traveling alone, there's no trying to please anyone other than yourself during the trip planning process, meaning that you can totally go to that hole-in-the-wall place without fear of judgement on a complete whim. You can also explore any place within where you are traveling, or on the way to your destination, including that cheesy highway attraction or an "old-timey" museum just because you want to.
3. Locals Are Often Friendlier Than You Think
In all of my experiences traveling alone, I have found that locals love talking to solo travelers, and I have been able to gain a truly authentic experience of the culture of where I am visiting. On a solo night in Dublin during a study abroad trip, I made friends with locals and was shown all of the best places in the city, which I was then able to show to my group the next day! I learned so much about their lives and cultures in just that one night, and had the experience of a lifetime from the eyes of a local, and have made friends that I still speak with today from all around the world. However, you do of course want to be aware of your surroundings and trust your gut on situations because safety while traveling is ultimately the most important thing.
4. You Can Rest When Needed
Piggybacking off of creating your own schedule while traveling solo, another benefit is that you can rest and relax whenever you need to without feeling like you are letting the person you are traveling with down by not having a day packed with adventure. I am one to often pack as much into a trip as possible, yet I have learned that taking a day to relax and rest up during a long trip will make it much more enjoyable than running out of energy at the tail end of your trip, and when traveling alone you can do just that!
5. You Tend To Learn A Lot About Yourself
Through traveling alone, I have learned so much about myself and what makes me happy. I have learned that going to places such as a local pub or restaurant that's a favorite among locals, or a museum or small antique shop to learn about the history of a place brings me so much more joy than a packed club or touristy destination. I would have never learned this had I not traveled alone and been able to visit these spots solely because they interested me and because I did not have to ask for the opinion of someone else. I have also learned about different cultures through speaking with locals, which has then impacted by views on the world as a whole, as well as the type of person I want to be. Although I do again love traveling with friends, traveling alone gives you a sense of independence and freedom unlike any other, and allows you to open your mind to all that's surrounding you, and I honestly cannot think of a better learning experience than stepping out of your comfort zone and exploring and embracing a new destination the way only a solo traveler can.
