Why you should go on your next trip alone

I decided to do my first solo trip just after high school. The real reason why this idea attracted me so much is that I wanted to try something new and after spending all my life studying in small places where I felt that people just live their routine lives and do not really go for any real adventure, I chose to be different. I am not trying to say that I am in any way better, I am just pointing out that living an ordinary life felt like my rose is slowly losing its scent (I got that from my favorite book I recommend you to read: The Missing Rose by Serdar Özkan, where the rose represents one's true spirit).

By now I have done a few solo trips and I fell in love with that way of traveling. Do not get me wrong, it did not always go as planned, in fact I almost missed my plane once and I got really close to spending the night outside. And at times, it got a bit lonely and there was nobody I could share my stories with as my friends at home quickly got fed up with them. But despite all that, it has brought something to me. Those travels helped me to discover parts of myself I did not know before. You should give it a try at least once, and I am giving you some reasons below.

Discovering new places.

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Being free to make your own plan

People have different preferences, and that includes traveling. Some prefer doing a quick tour around the city, while others like to enjoy in one city for weeks and slowly get to know it. Normally, the more travel buddies you have, the less of your propositions you will really do. Naturally, it can be awesome to travel with someone you get along with really well but there is still a certain level of conformity you have to accept, that is just the way it works. So: if you want your trip to work the way you want to, you have to plan it yourself. You do not need to plan everything. At first, I really made lists of all the things I wanted to visit and even made myself a walking map and later, I just quickly checked which are the most important sights and then let myself walk around and stop at places that looked interesting.

Making your own plan.

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Not being dependent of other fellow travelers

Don't you have friends? That is a question you could get when you tell someone that you are thinking of traveling solo. But clearly, they have not tried it themselves. One can have friends, really good ones and still do a solo trip. In fact, I believe it is a really good thing to do so. It has probably happened to you that you went to a museum you really liked and wanted to stay longer, but others wanted to get some drinks so you went with them (or the other way around). I spent 4 hours in Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam as I liked it so much and I am pretty sure I could not have done it if I would not go there by myself.

It is not only that places you want to see with your friends can vary, but also the time spent there. And preferred way to travel around (train, plane, bus, blablacar), the amount of money one is willing to spend, the hour of waking up... Traveling around alone, you can change your mind as many times as you want. Like I do sometimes: I walk down one street, see another one that looks interesting and instantaneously change my direction. Actually, it is also good to have some trips with different mates as you learn to adjust to their wishes as well, just like people should do in relationships and in groups.

Making decisions together.

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Easy to do Couchsurfing

Since I wrote about it in the previous post, I only mention it because Couchsurfing really works well when you are a solo traveler. You can get a guided tour and make a new friend if you are lucky. That is what I use so I am not really completely alone on my travels: as the hosts are normally very welcoming and willing to help me with my questions, give me some advice, offer me breakfast... This means that your may have to adjust a bit sometimes: wait for them to finish work or get up very early as they do not have a spare key.

Doing Couchsurfing often leads to surprising experiences: they could own a motorbike and take you for a drive, they may be willing to go to the monastery nearby with you or reveal that you can take the train to an abandoned factory that has a unique form of pipes and where trees grow in woden boxes with the inscription: ''Fragile! Do not open''. Really, using Couhsurfing is like nothing else if only you let your host surprise you with their ideas. Just make sure that you understand that hosts expect you to spend some time with them so do not fill your time too much.

You will meet other travelers

When you are traveling in a group you already have people to talk to around so you probably will not get into many long conversations with others. On the contrary, when you are on your own, other solo travelers will recognize that and you can find a buddy to walk around the city with. Once, I started talking to a girl in blablacar and we decided to go around together and another time, I met an older lady from Canada and she shared so many interesting stories of her life with me at lunch.

It is quite different than traveling with your friends as those people are coming from environment that is not the same as yours, their age can be different and so on, while your friends are probably more similar to you and what you already know. So talking to other travelers will most likely lead to interesting conversations and sometimes you will end up sharing personal stories which you have not told even to your good friends. And that is the beauty of it. Just take the opportunities to meet others on your journey and do not be afraid to start a conversation. Or as some say: every single person can teach you something new.

Making new friends.

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Becoming more independent

When you will be traveling solo, you will be on your own. There will be nobody you could turn to directly so you will be forced to use your orientation skills. Of course you can always ask locals to help you with directions or ask the information desk where is the departure place of your bus. But in general, you will be handling all the small problems alone. But it is not something you should be afraid of as it will enable you to fully develop your skills for direction, finding transport connections between places and putting a friendly smile on before asking for help.

You will have to take responsibility for the course of your trip. And you alone will find transport and accommodation. It could get a bit difficult at times, but when you will later look back on your trip and see how you were able to deal with all kinds of issues, you will be proud of yourself. And you will improve your problem-solving abilities which will turn out as a very useful thing in your everyday life.

Discovering yourself

In our everyday life, we are usually preoccupied with our daily tasks and that way we forget to discover ourselves. That is what happens to me when I am spending time in Ljubljana: I focus myself on my studies, meet my friends occasionally and do not really do anything exceptional. That changes when I travel as I get to know other cultures, interact with so many people and see their way of living and thinking. Stopping on a high mountain and just sitting there looking at the city below, enjoying the wind running through your hair can make you feel very connected to the nature and it represents a great way of getting rid of the typical distractions, giving your mostinner desires a way to reach your mind.

You cannot really change by being at the same place and change is not very connected to timing: some people spend their whole lives at one place and keep on being the same, while others can go through a big change caused by an event or journey and completely change the way they see the world. It does change you, traveling. And doing that alone, you will see it even more clearly: you will slowly get to realize how small you are compared to the whole world and how your mind expands each time you are in a new place. You will become more tolerant and understand others better.

Discovering yourself.

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Seeing so many advantages of solo travel, I hope that I convinced you to stop postponing it and just do it. It will not be the easiest travel you have done, but you will be able to handle it all. Your future friends from all over the world are waiting for you to go out there and meet them. Do not let fear or thinking that it is not for you to prevail your thoughts. Just decide where you want to go and book a ticket, without overthinking about it. Prove yourself that you can do it!

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