Traveling abroad is a dream for many. The lure of new experiences, bright city lights, different foods, and beautiful landmarks draws almost any adventurer in. The thrill of new sights and new people are some things that are forever remembered. Traveling abroad is one thing, but traveling abroad alone is another. The thought of traveling by yourself might sound frightening, but there are so many perks to traveling abroad alone.
You step out of your comfort zone
Traveling abroad alone pushes you outside your comfort zone. When you're traveling with a group of people, there is a tendency to follow that crowd, and they become your safe space. You do what they do, and when they do it. Traveling by yourself means that you must rely on yourself when making decisions and when acting on those decisions. When you travel alone you can push the boundaries and try things you might not try when with others. One of the most exciting parts of traveling abroad alone is adapting to new experiences and being challenged. Take a leap of faith, see where it takes you.
You develop a new respect for different cultures and mindsets
While traveling alone, your mind is open to new possibilities. You're adventuring to different places that you've never been, and along with that comes new people that you haven't met. Traveling alone allows you to learn from those around you, whether that be in a new town, or and entirely different country. When you travel alone, you're taking a huge leap into the unknown and opening yourself up to new experiences. You'll find that so many people are willing to share their culture and their experiences with you. You go into traveling with your own thoughts and beliefs. Along the way you may find people who share the same beliefs as you, and you may encounter people where their beliefs inspire you. Traveling alone means keeping your mind open.
You're free to make your own plans
This is probably one of the best aspects of traveling alone. You get to make your own plans and create your own timeline. Traveling abroad alone means that you're open to trying new things and meeting new people along the way. If you had plans to head to the beach, but you meet some people along the way who are heading to a museum, you have the opportunity to join them. Traveling alone also means that you're free to go wherever you want. Want to take a day trip out of the country you're staying in? Go for it. You get to make your own decisions.
You FIND yourself
Traveling alone can teach you so many things about yourself. When you're put in a position to find specific locations in a new country, you may really begin to see how you cope with stress. When you're running late to catch a train that you've never been on before, you start to realize how you react when put under pressure. When you end up lost in a foreign country, or even in city that you've never been to before (because it will happen), it puts you in a sort of survival mode that stretches you as a person. One of the best parts of traveling alone is that you are vulnerable. You aren't in a place you are too familiar with and you have to adapt. Meeting new people on the street and having new experiences that are individual to you will stretch you as a person and ultimately help mold you into the person that you want to be.
When traveling abroad alone, its your time to experience all that life has to offer. You will make memories that last a lifetime.