Travel Solo, But Don’t Stay Solo- Why You Should Go On A Solo Trip At Least Once In Your Lifetime
Please, stop everything you’re doing now and answer this question:
How many times have you given up on planning a trip because you didn’t have anyone to travel with? I’m sure many times.
I want to start this off by saying that solo travel is a must. It is one of the most empowering, life-changing, unforgettable, and priceless experiences you will ever have in your life. It is something you should do various times in your lifetime. I know it can sound super scary for those who had never done it before. But trust me. You won’t regret it. The whole fun of it is in doing it alone. Sometimes there’s that fear of not knowing how everything is going to turn out, but remember that you do know yourself and you do know your ability to adapt to things. There’s nothing to worry about. Just believe you will figure things out.
One of the biggest reasons why most people don’t travel nowadays is because they don’t have a travel buddy. There’s this idea that traveling alone is the worst traveling style ever. There’s so much fear when it comes to traveling alone. People fear feeling lonely, sad, and not being able to enjoy anything. Maybe you are one of these people who fear getting on a plane and flying across the ocean to go visit another country by themselves. I’ve been in those shoes before as well, so I get it and I respect that. But, can I tell you something? What if I told you that perhaps your number fear isn’t going on solo travel, but it is actually to stay solo.
When I went to England for the first time back in 2017, I was super excited to do what a lot of travelers do when they go to London. They hop on a train to Paris for a weekend trip. I was very surprised by how easy and by how cheap it is to go from London to Paris by train or even by bus. I had separated the last weekend of my time in Europe to visit the romantic and unforgettable city of Paris. That was until my friend who was with me told me that she wasn’t really in a mood to go to Paris. She lives in London, and she had already been to Paris a long time ago. When she told me that, I went from being super excited to being super uninterested in going because I knew I would have to go alone. I thought to myself: out of any city in Europe, Paris is definitely NOT a place for solo travelers. Then I made the decision I regret the most: I decided to not go because I didn’t want to travel solo. It’s not that I had never traveled alone before. It’s that I didn’t think Paris would be fun to go alone.
When I came back home, I was so mad at myself. I said: why did I not go? Why did I prevent myself from having an amazing experience just because I was going to do it alone? That’s when I made a promise to myself. I said that I would never ever stop myself from traveling again just because sometimes I wouldn’t have anybody to travel with.
Sometimes we forget that friends and family have different lifestyles and schedules. They are all going through different phases in life, and that is ok. Some will be in college, others will be working. Many of them will have just become parents. A lot of them will be getting married. You will not always be able to join them because maybe you’re the one who is busy working. And they will not always be able to join you either because they will probably be the ones busy working. We need to understand that If we start to depend on others so that we can make our dreams come true, we will end up making no dream come true.
After 2 years of traveling with friends, in 2019 I invited a couple of friends to go to Paris with me. And guess what? Everybody I invited was not able to join me because the dates I picked for the trip didn’t match with the dates they could take off of work and school. So here I was again: In the same situation I was before back in 2017. I had the days off, the money for the trip, and the undeniable desire to visit Paris. However, this time I made a different decision. I went to Paris by myself. And let me tell you: it was one of the best trips of my life. I did everything I could, and more. I’m so happy that I have thousands of beautiful memories of me being there.
So what made me not really care about the fact I didn’t have a travel buddy? Simple: It was the fact that I looked for tools to make solo traveling more fun. Tools that allow me to interact with others while traveling alone. And also the fact that I was able to have a reason strong enough to go alone regardless of the destination.
WHY YOU SHOULD TRAVEL SOLO AT LEAST ONCE IN YOUR LIFETIME:
#1: When you are alone you will make so many new friends
The fact that you are alone makes you a way more approachable person. Think with me, it is so much easier to approach a solo traveler than to approach a group of people, right? This is the perfect opportunity for you to overcome your fears as a shy or introverted person. People think that extroverts are the ones who enjoy traveling solo the most. However, I’ve personally met a lot of introverts who said that they enjoy traveling solo the most and that traveling solo has actually made them more confident in themselves and more open to making new friends.
#2 It is an empowering experience
Another great benefit of traveling alone is that it is empowering. You will be able to do so many things that you thought you would never do. When you figure something out by yourself in a foreign country, you feel great. I will never forget the first time I traveled to New York City by myself and I had to figure out how to use the subway system. When I learned how to go from Manhattan to Brooklyn for the first time I felt like the most successful traveler in the world.
#3: You have the freedom to do whatever you want to do
Another reason why you should travel alone is that you will have the freedom to do whatever you want to do because you won’t have anybody else to please. The only person you will worry about pleasing is yourself. This is an extremely important thing to consider because sometimes you end up experiencing judgment when you don’t want to do something that the people you’re traveling with want to do. When I traveled to Toronto, Canada I arrived at the house I was staying at at 3 PM. When I arrived there, the only thing I wanted to do was to rest, stay in my room, and watch Netflix. I ordered food and stayed there doing nothing. I know that for a lot of people, including myself sometimes, the first day is full of activities already. But I was tired. I wanted and needed some rest. Then because I didn’t have anybody else to please but myself, I felt great when I decided to spend that entire rest of the day inside and not really going out. If I had been with someone else, that would have been a different story. Another example related to this topic is when I traveled to Orlando, Florida with a group of friends. We were very different people and we had very different purposes when it came to going to Orlando. Some of us wanted to go to the amusement parks, others just wanted to stay at the hotel. Others wanted to go shopping. It was frustrating in the beginning because as we came as a group, we were expecting everybody to agree on doing the same things together. However, we all had different expectations and desires for that trip. I remember that on day two we were already separated, and what was one big group, ended up splitting up into several small groups of people. I did not have a negative experience, but it certainly taught me to choose better the people I am going to travel with and if I’m going to travel with someone who doesn’t share the same interests, I would rather travel alone. Sometimes being alone is better than being with someone who does not want to explore and do the things that you want to do. Don’t be afraid to travel alone. Be afraid to travel with people who will end up having plans that will ruin your experience. When you go alone, you already know that you are alone and you can join whoever you want to. But when you go with people and you end up having to do things alone because the people who you travel with don’t want to do what you want to do, sometimes can be very upsetting and frustrating.
After thinking and reflecting on these reasons why I should take solo trips various times in a lifetime, I thought to myself that the only thing I needed then were tools that’d allow me to make my solo trips more fun. And I also needed tools that would allow me to join other solo travelers or groups so that whenever I traveled alone I wouldn’t stay alone.
What to do:
3- Stay at hostels
This is one of my favorite things to do when I travel. Staying at hostels can be a very remarkable experience.
The reason why I like to stay at hostels is that I love the fact that most hostels will offer lots of interactive activities.
The majority of people who stay at hostels are open-minded, fun, backpackers, and solo travelers. They are those who actually want to meet other people. So it is ok to approach someone so that you can make friends with them.
Some of the best parties I’ve been to were organized by the hostels I’ve stayed at.
Some of the best interactive games and activities were organized by hostels. I’ve been to a Halloween party organized by a hostel, I’ve been to a karaoke night organized by a hostel. And so much more. Because I was there, I was able to meet people and enjoy those moments WITH people, even when I traveled alone.
2- Take walking tours
Walking tours are so much fun. They are not only fun but also very enriching experiences you can have as a traveler. You have the chance to learn so much about what places have to offer. Being able to get to know a tourist sight, why it became famous, the history behind it, and other details by a local guide is an amazing experience.
When you take a walking tour, you can get advice from locals, you can meet so many people, you don’t have to worry about making any plans because the tour has everything already planned out. It’s the best way to see the city and to get some exercise done. And most of the time, THEY ARE FREE.
The best walking tour I took was in Toronto, Canada. I learned SO MUCH about the city and the sights.
1- Book an Airbnb Experience
This has to be number one because so far, it has been my favorite way to meet people and do fun things.
I did not know about Airbnb Experiences until I traveled to Puerto Rico alone and met this sweet girl at a bar who soon became a friend. I thought Airbnb only offered cheap accommodation, but no.
What’s an Airbnb Experience?
According to the Airbnb website, “Airbnb Experiences are activities designed and led by locals. They go beyond typical tours or classes by immersing guests in a host’s unique world”. You don’t have to stay in a home on Airbnb to be able to book an experience.
One of the most unforgettable travel experiences I’ve ever had was when I booked a Salsa Dance Lesson in Puerto Rico through Airbnb. I love dancing so much, I grew up dancing to hip-hop, and pop. So I’ve always dreamed of taking a local dance lesson in another country. When this friend I met at this bar told me that she was going to be taking this lesson she booked on Airbnb, I did not hesitate to ask her if I could join her. We did it together, and when we got there, we were able to meet other amazing travelers. I had so much fun. This was, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever had in my life.
Today I know that if no one can join me in my travels, I won’t let that stop me from going. I know that traveling alone doesn’t mean I will stay alone. And even if it does, what’s the problem with that? There’s beauty in traveling alone, and I will do that as much as I can.
Finally, I would like to share one more story with you.
Long story short: one of my best friends made plans to travel to Thailand with somebody else. However, this person she was going to travel with ended up not being able to go anymore. But Esther didn’t let that ruin her travel plans. She was brave enough to go anyway. She did not let that stop her from going. She traveled by herself, and she had the best time of her life there.
“Those were 11 days of self-discovery. I have become a more independent woman. Independent like I had never been before. It is incredible how going on a solo trip can change our perspectives about life…”
Esther is a very close friend of mine who inspired me so much when she decided to take a leap of faith in herself and go to Asia alone. Of course, there was fear, but she didn’t allow those fears to control her actions. She made so many friends along the way, and she DID NOT stay alone, even though she traveled alone. I invite you to join Esther, Gabriel, and thousands of other solo travelers to FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS AND TO TRAVEL SOLO.
Never depend on others to make your dreams come true. Trust me. It’s not worth it. If I had waited for people to be able to join me, I wouldn’t have visited half the countries I have visited.
What about you? Have you ever gone on a solo trip before? How did it go? Were you able to meet other people? What were your favorite experiences?
Have you ever prevented yourself from traveling because you didn’t have somebody to go with?
I’d love to hear from you!
Thank you for stopping by. I can’t wait to see you next time!
Don’t forget to check out my other articles. I hope my stories inspire you.
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Follow my friend Esther on Instagram @esthercharaf
