Most people find the idea of traveling solo an incredibly intimidating one. In fact, even the idea of having to sit at a restaurant and have a meal on their own is enough to send those chills up and down arms.
Also, you might be thinking that the point of travelling and experiencing new things is to share those experiences with loved ones and friends, it makes the experience richer, and your bond deeper – right?
What if we were to flip that thinking on its head?
TRAVELING ALONE ALLOWS YOU TO GET AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE OUT OF EXPERIENCES
Think about it. Last time you went on a holiday, how much of your time was spent debating with whomever you were traveling about what to do that day, how it should be done, when you need to move on to other activities and what everyone feels like for breakfast, lunch and supper.
All that placating and decision-making takes a lot of time and even when plans are made, you can end up spending the day (or even the whole trip eventually) doing things that aren’t your first choice.
They may not have even been your second or third choices, to be honest.
When you travel by yourself, you give yourself the freedom to go exactly where you want to go, when you want to, and then leave as soon as you’re bored or think of somewhere else to explore. That freedom is what makes experiences worth filing away in the memory banks.
Another great thing? You don’t have to worry about your choices ending up being terrible, because you haven’t ruined another person’s day. Instead you can choose for yourself how you move on from there, how to salvage the day for yourself – without feeling really guilty about wasting your travel companion’s day on something they didn’t necessarily want to do in the first place.
HOW CAN YOU MAKE THE MOST OF THIS FREEDOM?
After revelling in the idea of all that freedom, it’s true, it’s still hard to get past the very real reality of doing everything by yourself – meals, bus rides and activities. So how do we turn this negative into a positive?
We have a few ideas for you:
1. EATING ALONE
This one is easier to get round than you may think. First of all, if the healthy people would quickly avert their eyes, you could simply get fast food and eat on the go.
Welcome back healthy readers. What we were saying, is that you could find a local grocery shop and stock up on healthy snacks and pre made meals.
If you are a bit of an extravert, and don’t want to spend all your time alone, then choose a less formal eating option than a restaurant, like a pub or café, take a book and strike up some small talk with the locals around you if they seem friendly.
This is a great thing about traveling alone – you are more approachable. People are happy to chat to one person alone, because it’s less intimidating than approaching a group, and twosomes are always more likely than not left alone.
2. BE YOUR OWN SAFETY BUDDY
They always say there’s safety in numbers, that’s because each of you can keep an eye on different things. So when alone, you need to be a bit more vigilant. You can make things a lot easier on yourself though with some forward planning.
Make sure to consult any maps or guides before leaving your accommodation for the day, this way you won’t be wondering around with your head in a book or looking at a screen instead of paying attention to your surroundings. This is also a good travel tip just so that you maximise the experiences along the way.
Another thing? Single people can actually blend into a crowd a lot easier than even two people. As long as you stay away from touristy or flashy clothes that locals would never wear, you can probably become part of the local scene pretty easily.
3. YOU MIGHT BE OFF ON YOUR OWN, BUT YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE ISOLATED
Make sure you don’t go into the wild blue yonder without someone back home having a detailed itinerary of your trip, as well as numbers for you, where you’re staying, places you’re going, etc. Also try and check in often, this is not only for your safety, but also to make sure that those back home know they can get hold of you quickly if they need to urgently.
Travelling solo can be an amazing experience, because, not only does it allow you to take in everything you want to see, but spending so much time with yourself allows you some real time to think and discover new things about yourself. It’s especially empowering if you never thought you could do something as brave – by the end of the trip, however far you go and for how long, it will have you feeling like you can conquer and explore anything.