College, bills, due dates, and general life stressors are enough to keep the college-aged population at home. But what we need is to get out and travel. See the world, make memories and live the life we've been given. Now I'm not talking about breaking the bank when you're traveling. This could be a simple ride to the town over and walking the plaza. It could also be studying abroad but that's a different topic for a later article.

This is the time of our lives where we are put to the test to be successful adults. Its not only stressful but one of the scariest times of our lives. I mean we're living outside of the nest that our parents have built for us and venturing out into the adult world. This is the ideal time to break out of the boundaries we have built for ourselves and test our limits. Your first solo trip will open your eyes to who you are. It makes you dependent on no one else except for yourself. You're able to experience everything in your own way, on your own time. Take that back-road that will make the trip an hour longer, eat at that foreign restaurant without any judgement. This is the time of your life and you wont ever be able to get this time back!

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel have only read one page"- Saint Augustine

While traveling alone, you're able to enjoy your own itinerary, stick to your own budget, worry about your happiness and your happiness alone. When going to a new restaurant, you don't have to worry if your traveling partner will like it or not. While traveling alone, you're able to define who you are. I'm not expecting everyone to have an "Eat, Pray, Love" experience, but while you're out on your own, you're calling the shots, making new memories, and having new experiences. This pushes you outside of your comfort zone. A push that we college aged students definitely need.

In the end, traveling alone is the push into adulthood that we need. We get a taste of budgeting, conflict management, and even a literal taste of something new.