Why Travelling Solo is Essential
Someone once said It’s ok to be scared. It means you’re about to do something really brave. Travelling alone has been the most liberating experience of my life and I urge everyone to try it at least once.
People travel solo for a wide variety of reasons. For me, it was born out of a heartbreak. Cliché as it might sound, I wanted to ‘find myself’. I would now like to rephrase the statement from ‘finding myself’ to ‘discovering a better version of myself’.
Many people ask: Why travel solo? Don’t you get bored alone? Isn’t it scary?
The answer is a combination of factors, some of which are unique to the individual and others which are common to us all.
For me, the boost it offers to my self-confidence and the sheer freedom of it. It’s an incredibly liberating experience. It has hands down offered me the best experiences of my life.
Don’t you get bored alone? Having lived alone for a very long time, I have only embraced solitude. Many people confuse solitude with loneliness. So, for the ones who constantly crave a company, I would suggest you to be away from solo travels. I find peace in solitude and solo travel has only made me love and embrace it more.
Am I scared? As much as I loved the idea of solo travelling, it did feel overwhelming in the beginning. Trust me, you just need enough confidence to take the first step and book your first trip. There is magic outside your comfort zone. So, feel the fear, and do it anyway.
Travel is so powerful because it helps us to discover a better version of ourselves in the process. Here are a few things I’ve learnt about myself while travelling solo-
· It makes you more grounded- Travelling solo is full of moments that ground us but it also forces us to embrace the discomfort and to rise above it. Be it arriving at a new station in Japan where you can’t read the signs to find your way or trying to use your basic language skills with a Parisian taxi driver who can’t quite understand how you’re pronouncing “Champs- Elysées”
· I have learnt to live with less- You get used to living with just the essentials after travelling for a while. Also for practical reasons, cz you only have yourself to carry your luggage. The minimalism becomes a part of your lifestyle. It involves adopting a mindset of simplicity and prioritizing experiences over possessions.
· It encourages empathy and deepens our understanding- The ability to feel another person’s pain is hardwired into our brains and serves as the foundation of any healthy relationships. But it requires constant practice. Because travelling solo forces us to escape our comfort zone and to encounter new people and new situations in the real world, it strengthens our ability to empathize with a broader range of people.
Encountering and understanding another without having to accept everything they do always seeps into a kinder and less judgmental way of interacting with the world.
· You learn what is important to you in life- As you are introduced to new people, sights, smells and sounds, you develop the ability to look at your ‘real’ life at home more objectively. You question whether the habits, goals and lifestyle choices you once thought were important really matter to you as much as you thought they did.
· You learn to be more open-minded and find solutions from a fresh perspective- With no one by your side to back up your prejudices, you’ll learn to open your mind to new ways of living, and re-evaluate any preconceived notions that you may have been harbouring.
Either from our culture, where we grew up, or how our parents raised us, we can grow accustomed to a very fixed way of thinking. Thankfully, when we travel we start to see that not everyone does things the same way and that their way of doing things is not wrong, it is just different.
Take the Plunge.