6 advantages of travelling alone

«If you have no one to travel with, travel alone!»

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If you have no one to travel with, travel alone!

There are so many people on this planet with a traveler spirit and they don’t go out there because they have no one to travel with, or they are simply afraid to do it alone.

To travel alone is, without a doubt, one of the most enriching experiences in life.

I don’t mean to detract traveling with company, which is also awesome. But you shouldn’t put your dreams aside just because you have no one to go with. Life is too short to wait.

Obviously, you must take all the precautions when you travel alone. Everywhere in the world there are dangerous areas and people, so you must always travel safe, this is normal and applies even in the city you currently live in, so don’t let that stop you.

When I was a teenager, I traveled to Germany alone for the summer to visit my great aunt. I stayed in her home and she took me to see many wonderful places. One day, she told me that she and her husband had a trip to Italy planned way in advance and they couldn’t change the date, so I had to stay home alone.

She gave me her house keys, explained to me the transport system, the names of the stops I needed to use in order to know the city better, and she left. At first, when she gave me the news I freaked out a bit, I was going to be completely alone in a city I didn’t know, where they speak a language I didn’t understand; but, as my great aunt was explaining the movement of the city, I started to feel brave. How hard could it be? After all, she didn’t show any concern over me. She just gave me the instructions I needed and that was enough.

That was one of the best weeks of my life. I went out every morning and came back at night, and it was not even dark because we had daylight until 22:00. Each day I went to a different place, I walked a lot and found many beautiful places. When I needed help, I would ask a person passing by and somehow, we understood each other. When I was thirsty, I would stop at a pub and get a cold drink; when I was hungry, I would stop somewhere and get something to eat. I realized that not speaking German was not an impediment to express what I needed; we understood each other pretty well and people were very nice.

Not in one moment of that week I felt alone, I was fascinated with everything around me. I feel deep love for European architecture so I was very happy, quiet, looking at everything, taking in every detail, every plaza, every building.

But the most important thing is that I was so proud of myself. I felt like I could do anything. It’s an indescribable feeling.

In honor to that one, and many other living experiences, want to share with you some advantages of traveling alone:

1. It forces you to interact with other people

I’ve never been a social person; I was very insecure and shy since I was a kid. I never liked to go to parties where I didn’t know most people. I started to open up to people, to have conversations, to ask questions and talk about life when I started traveling by myself. With many of them I still keep in touch. We live in different corners of the world, but we still keep a beautiful friendship and always remember the wonderful experiences we shared.

2. You learn about new cultures

When traveling alone, you not only learn about the country you are visiting, but also about the culture of the people you meet, and that, to me is more valuable than any other possession you can buy. When you travel in a group of family or friends, you always tend to stay and interact only with them, which is also beautiful, but it takes away the opportunity to meet new people.

I’ve met people from countries like South Africa, Indonesia, Vietnam, Italy, Hungary, Holland, among many others; I have learned about their traditions, their life style, their history. Those conversations are saved in my brain and heart.

3. Freedom to do whatever you want

If you travel on a tour or independently, traveling by yourself gives you the chance to do whatever you want, and take the time you want. If you want to sit in a Café in Paris and read for three hours straight, you do it. If you want to sit on the sand in front of the ocean and look at the waves for two hours in total silence, you do it. You don’t have the feeling that the people you travel with are bored, they want to leave or want to do something different. I insist: It’s also beautiful to travel in group with family and friends. But the freedom you feel when you do it alone is incredible.

4. You have plenty of time to reflect on things

Traveling alone gives you the time you need to dedicate it to yourself, to clear out your thoughts and see your problems from other perspectives that might help you make new life decisions.

At the end of the day, the most important person in your life, is you. Give yourself time to love yourself more and enjoy the things you like.

5. Overcome your fears

You will be surprised once you realize all the things you can achieve on your own. It doesn’t matter how old you are, when you travel alone you learn lots of things and lose fear to many others.

6. You practice a new language

There is no better way to lose your fear to speak a different language than traveling alone. When we are surrounded by friends and family, one tends not to speak a second language; I don’t know why, but we feel a bit intimidated. When you are on your own, your brain activates in a different way and you start talking without even noticing, you just let it go. I’ve seen it on many people. I’ve seen it on myself. It’s awesome.

I really hope you’ll give it a shot and start planning your next solo trip, you’ll see how it changes your life.

Let me leave you with a quote that I like a lot, by Anthony Bourdain:

“Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life and travel leave marks on you.”

Xoxo,

Cupcakes & Harmony

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