[Archived] Many Millennials are Obsessed with This One Thing
If you don’t think traveling abroad is something you should just plan a few days prior to your departure and make it happen, you are absolutely right. No matter how spontaneous you consider yourself to be, it is something you would rather plan a few weeks or months ahead for a better experience.
“Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all of one’s lifetime.” — Mark Twain
I am 25 years old and an active planner myself. I am always on my laptop researching on places to visit in the next few years and looking for the right time to book my flights and hostels. Now, you might be a little more relaxed and spontaneous than I am, but many of us Millennials have probably had experience in travel planning, packing our stuff and hopping on a plane without anyone’s help.
And needless to say, that’s totally a different experience you got from your family travels when you were 7 years old.
Here are some stats from Topdeck Travel, popular provider of group travel for 18–30 somethings, that surveyed 31,000 people from 134 different countries:
88% of them traveled overseas between 1 and 3 times a year
94% were between 18–30
30% traveled solo
Majority traveled in Europe, North America and Australia/New Zealand
“Now, if you were to give yourself a traveler type, which one are you, a group traveler or a solo traveler?”
I have traveled to 16 countries so far and have traveled to many of them alone, to at least many cities inside. And ‘solo traveling’ is just a perfect thing for people like me who prefer to be the master of their itineraries and be on their own schedules during their travels.
There are many other reasons why young people prefer to travel solo. But out of many online articles on the same topic, I’ve just picked six top reasons why I think you should travel alone while young.
Fully immerse yourself into new culture
If you go on solo travels, you will have more time to visit famous local sites, understand history behind each site and enjoy local food than the ones with travel buddies who will more likely spend time chatting and partying. In fact, more and more employers today value travelers who have learned about other cultures and the importance of adaptability.
More time for photography
No need to make your friends wait for you…
Make valuable connections with people just like you
From the moment you arrive at a backpacker hostel, you realize that most people there are international just like you. If you are willing to talk to them and learn about their own cultures and travel experience, they will also be interested in learning about your background as well. You’ve already made one valuable connection to take for the rest of your life.
Boost your confidence
Traveling solo can be horrifying at first. Though people are nicer than you may think, you’re all on your own for the most of your trip and you just can’t expect what will happen. However, as you learn how to deal with situations by yourself, you naturally learn how to ask for the information you need to survive while abroad. Sometimes you might meet total jerks, but you will easily move on as you get more experience. You are unconsciously building your confidence and when a new challenge arises, you will remember how many times you have handled problems alone all over the world.
Rethink about your next goals
Whether you decide to learn a new language after visiting a new country or find a new hobby or job role which another traveler has introduced to you, solo traveling brings you to many things you would never think about getting yourself into otherwise.
Appreciate your personal relationships back home
Everyone has friends and family members that you love and love you back. But often times, you don’t realize that you’re not showing your appreciation to them because you see them so frequently. It’s when you leave home and start missing them that you start to realize how big their existences were to you. In many successful cases, a love relationship becomes stronger once one of them goes abroad to travel. Trust me though, it’s always harder for the ones left home.
As a millennial, especially in your early 20's, you may have a limited amount of time and money to spend on travel so it’s better if you customize it to your individual preference and maximize your satisfaction. Also, due to a skyrocketed interest in solo traveling in recent years, travel services all over the world have been trying to come up with better ways to engage with this growing segment. Now, it’s time for you to reconsider your travels, because…
You only live Millennial once.
