I just got back from my second solo trip last week, and I’ve gotten a lot of comments along these lines lately…
“You’re so brave! I could never do that!”
“I can’t even eat by myself, I wish I had the guts to travel alone.”
“Wouldn’t you get bored or lonely?”
“I’d feel so self-conscious.”
To be honest, it was only scary right before I took that leap. Trust me, I was terrified too. But once I was there, I wondered why I hadn’t done it sooner. The funny thing is that there’s not much bravery necessary at all. Just a tiny bit of faith!
Here are some of my thoughts on making the most of wandering solo:
1. Don’t wait to be in a relationship or for your friends to finally get it together before living the life that you really want.
Some people miss out on so much simply because they have an idealized fantasy about how they’ll experience a place. Wanting a kiss in front of the Eiffel Tower or taking a couple’s selfie while riding a gondola are cool, but are you going to miss out on seeing everything else that Paris and Venice have to offer just so you can hold on to those fantasies? Do you keep putting off your dream trip simply because your friends can’t commit to solid plans? If you have the time and the means, do it now. You won’t regret it!
2. Traveling solo in a place where nobody knows you truly allows you to be yourself.
No pretense. No charade. No trying to live up to everyone else’s expectations. Being on your own in a strange place strips you down to who you really are inside. No one can make you do something you don’t want to do, and you don’t have to convince anyone else to do what you want to do. You learn exactly who you are and what you want.
3. Traveling alone doesn’t mean you’ll be lonely.
You meet so many people – and often very interesting ones! – while traveling. I’m a notoriously introverted person, but because traveling by myself allows me so much space to recharge internally I actually end up being a lot friendlier with strangers. I stay at hostels specifically to meet people from all over the world. I’ve had such cool experiences, traded stories, and made friends with dozens of fellow travelers, many of whom I still keep in touch with. You never know how much you can impact a person, even if you only know them for a day. And you never know how much they’ll impact YOU.
4. Your experience is truly your own – untainted by outside influence or bias.
Ever find yourself enjoying a cheap wine or touristy attraction, only to have someone else call it unsophisticated and tacky? Or secretly thinking something tastes horrible while a friend raves about how delicious it is? Solo travel allows you to just see, taste, hear, smell, and touch, and then judge for yourself whether something is enjoyable or not. You don’t have to listen to anyone else’s opinion. Chances are…you’ll enjoy more stuff. Even when it’s bad!
5. You learn not to sweat the small stuff.
You don’t have the luxury of freaking out when things don’t go as planned. No one is going to be there to help you. So you learn not to panic when little things go wrong, to keep your cool when bigger things do, and to problem-solve calmly on your own.
6. Quality and quantity time with God.
I often find it difficult to be disciplined when it comes to morning devotionals and prayer when I’m at home. But when on holiday, I love getting up early and finding a quiet spot to read, reflect, and pray. Throughout the day I don’t have to deal with the noise of my cluttered brain on work mode, and I can just be in constant conversation with the Lord. One of my favorite experiences was sitting in the viewing deck at the Top of Europe in Jungfraujoch and just meditating for an hour. Chances are, you wouldn’t get to do things like that if you have other people hurrying you along for the next activity. This to me is the best thing of all.
