There are so many benefits of traveling alone who come from traveling alone, and in this post I show you 5 things that happen when you decide to travel alone!

So, are you excited to buy a backpack, fill it with all your life and head to the airport to start the adventure of a lifetime?

Sounds awesome?

Because it’s awesome!

But you still haven’t found the perfect person you want to travel with long-term and you’re not sure if such a person exists?

So why not start your travels? all by yourself?

I mean, at the end of the day, most of us get along perfectly with ourselves! Good?

So who could be a better travel companion than yourself and all the thoughts that go along with it?

solo travel benefits

Check out these related travel posts:

Traveling alone seems like a very daunting thing. And it should!

It’s perfectly normal for us to put loneliness and total discomfort in the same basket.

I mean, our whole lives we’ve been used to ALWAYS being around other people.

Whether it’s our parents, siblings, friends, cousins. Whatever. We always have people around us, and it is the absolute norm.

But traveling alone? It looks awful!

Maybe it’s dangerous?

What if you feel lonely?

What would you do if you got stuck in a country where nobody speaks your language?

What if you need a hug? And on and on the list can go!

But here’s the thing.

Deciding to travel solo could and probably WILL be the best thing you’ll ever do!

Because?

because it totally captivates you out of your comfort zoneand into the unknown.

It allows you to grow as a person.

To see a different side of both yourself and other people.

The pros just outweigh the cons MASSIVELY!

All our lives we are used to being around people, as I said before. By always being around people, we never have time to be alone with our thoughts and to truly connect with ourselves.Knowing yourself is a great necessity in life!

You heard me right. How well do you know yourself? How much time do you really spend with you? weird huh?

Well traveling solo is all about getting reintroduced!

My experience traveling alone for a whole year

A while back I started my long term adventures of traveling and randomly finding work along the way so I can keep traveling. Most backpackers can relate to the struggles of trying to feed the travel bug by increasingly finding work whenever possible.

I spent about a year, or less, traveling with a companion and sometimes with some companions. It was a great introduction to long-term travel, and it had a lot of ups and downs!

But the following year I decided it was time to go only.

I wanted to give traveling alone a great opportunity. And I’m SO glad I did!

The beginning is the hardest

This is definitely true.

The first time you arrive at a foreign airport with no real plan for where to go next, where to sleep that night, or even how to get around is terrifying!

But what choice do you really have in a situation like this? You can’t fall to the ground and start crying.

This won’t help you at all, right?

Plus, people will think you’re crazy!

So you put it together and figure out your next move YOURSELF. You calm down and make a plan. A few hours later you find yourself in a hostel somewhere having a beer with a stranger and feeling good about your daring day!

The good news about these first few struggles is that once you get through them, everything else becomes easier and easier.

The next time you arrive somewhere foreign, you’ll worry a little less.

You learn to trust that you will figure something out. And you know if all else fails, go sit down somewhere, have a drink and relax for a while, and then come up with a plan again!

When you reach the comfortable phase

This is a phase that every solo traveler will face at some point. It is where all the anxiety and fear of being alone suddenly disappears and is replaced by absolute contentment.

You learn that being alone with your thoughts is one of the coolest and best feelings you’ve ever felt. You start to love being with yourself, which is a strange but amazing feeling.

You learn that being alone with your thoughts is one of the coolest and best feelings you’ve ever felt. You start to love being with yourself, which is strange but amazing.

I remember that after being alone for a few months I became part of a close-knit community in the northern region of Thailand. We would spend all our time together, literally from sunrise to sunset.

After a while, I would literally crave to be alone for a few hours. I would take my bike and go for a ride in the mountains just to get away and be with myself!

How strange, I thought. A year earlier I would NEVER wish for anything like this! But hey, I guess that’s the growth and change you experience.

The biggest solo travel benefits I got from traveling solo

Obviously there were ups and downs in the year I spent alone on the road.

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, and some days get boring while others are filled with excitement.

Below are some important things I learned from traveling solo. Feel free to add any that you have personally experienced!

Lesson #1: We don’t always need to be around people

Probably the first thing that comes to mind. I quickly realized that I really didn’t always need to be around other people. And on top of that, it felt good to be away from other humans for a while!

Lesson #2: Eventually you feel more relaxed

How is this when you’re supposed to be the most stressed, worried and scared?!

Relax, relax. Let me explain.

When you’re constantly around people, always chatting and in each other’s faces, you’re not always 100% comfortable. Especially when you always have to announce that you are going out, or that you plan to do something, etc.

When you are alone, there is no need for this at all. Go out for the day? I need to tell anyone at all! There is no need to register with anyone either. Freedom is cool, huh?

Lesson #3: Increase your ability to meet new people

Have you noticed how sometimes when traveling with companions you tend to stick together and do everything as one? Go out to see the site, eat, drink, do everything in a group.

It’s not the best to be open to new people, right?

Well, when you are alone, you have no choice but to open up to meet new and strange people. Like I said before, the whole thing about being alone is amazing.

However, there comes a time when you feel like meeting some people and hearing their stories.

Being a solo traveler forces you to go out of your way and take the first step in introducing yourself to others.

Another reason why it is easier to meet others is that when you are alone somewhere, it is easier for you. accessible.

It is much more difficult and intimidating for one person to approach a group of peers and introduce themselves than to do the same with a solo traveler. Correct?

Lesson #4: You eventually crave alone time

You will find that once your solo travels come to an end and you return to your normal, social life, you will want to spend some time alone.

This is perfectly normal and kind of awesome!

Lesson #5: Your self-confidence is through the roof!

Probably the biggest of the lot.

Your self-confidence will definitely grow A LOT while traveling solo. All those fucking stressful moments being alone in airports, train stations, trying to communicate with people who don’t speak your language, etc. All of this contributes to your confidence. His ability to stay calm and support himself.

It’s one of the best things that can happen to you and the biggest lesson you’ll learn from traveling alone, that’s for sure!

My advice for people who want to travel alone

So my little advice for anyone looking to travel solo? It’s quite simple, really.

DO IT!

That is literally my only advice to you.

Do it only And believe me, you won’t regret it!