Blog Around The World

Traveling alone feels great and leaves a great impact on one’s personality.

Starting with a story, when I started traveling with my friends, I used to think about solo travel but procrastination hit me every time. Excuses like I won’t be able to enjoy that much were there to stop me. Although it took months to overcome this, last year I experienced traveling alone to a few European countries.

At first, overcoming the fear was the thing. I thought about the difficulties and loneliness ahead. But when I started, it went very well.

The trip was truly amazing, I came to know the long term benefits of solo travel. It feels great and you not only explore the destinations but yourselves, too.

Here’s what I experienced during my two-months long solo travel:

Freedom:

The best part of traveling alone is the real freedom which isn’t there when you’re traveling in groups. In group travel, each one has its goals and you have to compromise and sacrifice your goals in front of them. In short, you can’t explore the way you want. On the other hand, when you travel alone, you’re the only master and planner of your journey. Wanna take a nap? Have it. Wanna hitch-hike, do it. Wanna enjoy the nightlife? Go for it. You have the freedom to go anywhere!

Living in the moment:

When I was in Mallorca, there were very few tourists around and I started observing nature keenly. I heard birds chirping, the sounds of leaves being blown by the wind, the clouds moving, and the water waves producing soothing sound was best of all. You get rid of the city’s hustle and bustle. Solo travel lets you live in the moment, and you start to find how beautiful nature is!

Creativity boost up:

Whenever you visit a destination alone, you observe more, you think more and this way, you find ideas that are powerful. You start looking at both sides of the same story, you find yourself in a state where observation is the most powerful act. Whenever I travel alone, I come back as a more creative traveler. I find new ideas for my blogs, side hustle, and businesses. I also found new strategies to achieve more.

Meeting new People:

Solo travel allows you to meet new people. When you’re alone, you’ll experience fellow travelers come up and strike a conversation. I had the chance to meet new people, and we shared travel stories and experiences. If you meet a local and have a great conversation, you’ll learn about the secret tourist spots, too, which may include valleys, old monuments, and more! Solo travel lets you make new friends, too. Just keep a smile on your face, talk politely, share experiences, and have food together. I am sure you’ll find a friend in every corner! 😀

Problem Solving:

Solo travel makes you a better problem solver. Whatever problem you encounter, you have to solve it all alone. As you go through those tough situations, you introduce proactiveness to your attitude. This way, you get ready to face difficulties and issues on the go. On the other hand, if we talk about group travels, problems are solved with several minds together. In solo, you’ve got yourself as the one who solves mysteries and problems. Got my point?

This way, solo travel has made me good at problem-solving.

Building Confidence:

I talked about meeting new people earlier and as a side effect, it builds confidence. When you explore alone, you deal with different people and you start getting better at communication and confidence. As I came back from my solo travel to Europe, I found improvement in confidence, communication, and other basic skills.

A Better Version of Yourself:

Building confidence, getting better at problem-solving, living in the moment contribute you to become a better version of yourself. You’ll experience a better attitude that lets you influence your friends and fellows. A better version of yourself means an updated version with better thinking, communication, and observation.

Flexibility:

Last but not least, solo travel is flexible. You can choose any destination and change plan to stay for more days. Unlike group travel, you’re the planner and only decider. Liking the destination? You can stay for more days or weeks, all up to you.

Final Thoughts

I am sure you would start packing for the first solo travel after learning these exclusive benefits.

I started traveling with my college fellows and explored a lot together. I always thought about exploring alone but there was some fear, but when I explored alone, I found it to be a mesmerizing experience. The positive impact it leaves can’t be described in words. You learn to become a responsible person as you’ve to manage everything on your own. From planning, packing, and exploring, you’re responsible for everything.

This is the best part of solo travel, you update yourself. As a side effect, you get better at money management, too.

To all those travelers who haven’t traveled alone yet, I would recommend them to forget the difficulties and hurdles and focus on the benefits it owes!

Believe it or not, it is a great way to learn about your hidden talents and abilities. Just plan your first solo travel and go for it. As you go through your first journey, you’ll always prefer solo travel over group travel in the long run. Travel alone and observe the change it leaves on you!

- Written Boyan Minchev