There are many things travelling solo will teach you about yourself, which you might not have learned otherwise.
At first, the idea of travelling alone can be quite daunting. The misconceptions around a female travelling on her own, usually come from those who have never done it before.
Being alone in a foreign country and foreign surroundings, heightens senses you didn’t know you had.
But when you do make that leap and take that first solo trip, you will realise it is the single biggest gift you can ever give to yourself, and here are 7 reasons why.
- Your confidence will grow
Overtime, the more I travelled alone, the more confident I became at starting conversations with people. Like anything, it takes practice.
Especially if you are a Dove/Owl personality type (as I am) and it takes a bit longer to come out of your shell. But once you learn to open up, you’ll wonder what you were ever worried about. And those strangers, some of them end up becoming your best friends for life, no matter where in the world you are.
This goes for other things in life as well, not just talking to strangers. Having the confidence to go to the movies, dinner, concerts or festivals by yourself (I have done it all!) and not be afraid of what others might think of you (or what you think others might think of you).
2. Go With The Flow
A good example of this was when I met two girls travelling through Europe.
First I met them in Ireland, then learned they were heading to the same camp site as me in Spain, to attend the San Fermin Running of the Bulls Festival.
I had no travel plans after the festival, so the girls invited me to tag along with them. First to Barcelona for a few days, then to spend a week in Lagos in Portugal.
This turned out to be one of the best weeks of my life. Before these girls I had never even heard of Lagos.
I fell in love with the place so much, I extended my stay for another week!
I love this sort of travel. The spontaneity, the adventure and the new friends gained along the way, make for the best memories and even better stories.
So just go with the flow.
3. Enjoy Your Own Company
I spent many days on my own while living in the UK and travelling around Europe.
It really made me appreciate being alone, having time to myself and simply doing things that only I wanted to do.
As much as I love socialising with friends, being an introvert, I also need and enjoy my own space.
This helps me to recharge my batteries, gather my thoughts and just appreciate living the moment without distractions from others.
It also comes in handy when you want to travel, but have no one to go with. Don’t sit around waiting for someone to go with you!
Even if you do a tour, this gives you the best of both worlds.
You have the benefit of meeting new people and be social, but at the same time if you want to do something on your own, you have the free time to do this too.
That’s one thing I definitely enjoyed about doing tours. And I didn’t have to compromise my trip.
4. It’s Ok To Be Selfish
Personally, I see nothing wrong with putting yourself first.
The way I see it, is you need to be happy with the life you are living.
No one else is living your life, but you. Sure this might “ruffle some feathers” of those around you. But that’s ok.
You can’t and won’t please everyone. So you might as well take a moment to think about what it is you actually want to do with this life you have been given.
The harsh reality of it is this. Your life can be over in an instant.
And when your time in this world comes to an end, Can you honestly say that you lived it how you wanted and not how someone else wanted you to live it?
So I’m saying it’s ok to be selfish. Even if it simply means taking that trip to Mexico you have always wanted to!
5. Live In The Moments
Put the phone down, start a conversation, admire your surroundings and just be in the moment. It sounds cliché, but it is so true!
These days it is so easy to get sucked into the online world of social media and technology (it happens to me too!).
Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with taking photos of a beautiful place you’ve visited, to keep for your memories and share with friends.
But once you have done that, spend the extra time simply soaking in what you went there for. Whether it be the culture, the people, the food, or the views.
You’ll appreciate the experience that much more.
6. Let Go Of Anger, Resentment and Grudges
I used to be one of those people who held grudges.
If someone did something to displease me, I’d let them know about it. Then I would hold that grudge and not speak to them for days, weeks, sometimes even months!
And what for? All because my ego had been bruised and my pride was too stubborn to forgive.
I learnt that in the end, the person I was hurting the most was myself. So full of anger, resentment and negative energy.
Instead, I decided to take responsibility for my actions and emotions. Learning to forgive and let go of unnecessary excess “baggage”.
Some things are harder to forgive. That have resulted in mental scarring. I certainly won’t forget, but I now choose not to give my energy to those people and emotions.
Life is so incredibly short and is wasted holding onto anger.
7. Love Yourself First
This last one is so important and I can’t stress it enough.
When you decide to love yourself first, you’ll be amazed at what can come of it.
We all have insecurities about ourselves that have manifested from somewhere else. Comparison being the biggest culprit.
The media, magazines and social media all play a massive part in this. Telling you how to look and what to wear based on someone else’s opinion.
Sometimes it can also come from bullying.
I experienced this in high school and it made me ashamed of certain aspects of myself. Even though there was no reason to be, but because of a select few opinions, I used to change things about my appearance and lie about my heritage, so I wasn’t subjected to those insulting comments in future.
Overtime as I got older, I realised that people who belittle others like this must have insecurities of their own. And in an attempt to make themselves feel better, they hurl insults and abuse towards others.
Once I stopped paying these people attention and loved myself, other people seemed to be drawn to that loving energy. I attracted the right type of people into my life and my confidence grew in every way.
Try your best not to compare to those you see on social media and never wish you were someone else. You are unique and that is what’s so wonderful about this world.
Life would be so bland if we were all the same. Where’s the fun in that?
Moon Lane Media 