5 Reasons YOU Should Travel Solo

1. Your friends aren’t coming

I hate to start off with negative talk and I know y’all aren’t trying to hear this but, your friends aren’t coming so you might as well just go on your own. I have definitely been there before; big travel dreams with no one who can go with. I have heard all the excuses in the book. The fact of the matter is, no matter the excuse its all the same, they just aren’t coming. Don’t get mad at your friends for canceling or backing out of plans because unfortunately, this is normal behavior for 2020. The only way to combat this is to go on your own. Muster up some guts and just do it. You can make friends when you get to your destination.

2. It’s Easier to be Solo

When you are traveling solo you only need a seat for one person, it’s easier to maneuver through the airport, and if there’s only one spot left for an activity then perfect, because it’s just you. It’s easier to blend in with everyone else when you are alone which is good for safety reasons. The more people you travel with, the more likely you are to experience a problem or issue. Instead of just having to only keep up with yourself, you have to keep up with other people too. If the other person/people have an attitude if can damper the mood. If you are alone and you have a shitty attitude, it doesn’t affect anyone but you.

3. Absolute Freedom

When is the last time you had complete freedom over your day? You didn’t have to ask anyone’s opinion or rely on their cooperation to make a move. When you travel alone you have COMPLETE control over where you stay, what you eat, what you do, and how long you do it. You can even just do nothing if you want to that day and no one will question you about your decision. You can travel at your own pace and stay as long or as short in a location as you want. If you want to take the overnight bus you don’t have to consult anyone and if you want to splurge on something there’s no one to say, “that costs too much, I don’t want to do that.” When you travel solo you won’t miss out on any activities that are important to you because you are in control.

4. It’s Cheaper

This goes hand in hand with having freedom to make your own decisions. Traveling solo is cheaper because you control your budget. If you want a cheap meal, it’s not an issue. If you want to cook food instead of eating out every day, you can. If you only want to drink during happy hour to save money, then it’s your prerogative. If you want to stay in a cheap hostel or spend extra on a hotel room, no one is there to debate with you about it. You only spend money on what you want. It’s as simple as that.

5. Gain New Skills/ Learn New Things

There are a ton of skills one can learn by traveling solo. One thing I learned in particular was how to navigate public transportation with the help of Google Maps. Where I am from, everyone drives a car, so I didn’t have much experience using public transport besides that one summer I spent in Chicago. Another skill I learned was to be flexible with my travel plans. I used to be one of those people who over planned their trips and then got upset when the plans didn’t work out. I didn’t want to be that person anymore so I challenged myself by not making plans. The last skill I will discuss is the most important; problem solving skills. You will, at some point in time be faced with some type of dilemma while traveling. Getting yourself through those times on your own makes you stronger person, more resilient, and confident. You will come on the other side better than before and that’s something you can be proud of.