Travel to new cities, new countries usually entails traveling with groups of friends or a traveling mate. Its also how routine ads depict travels, with a smiling carefree couple sun bathing on beaches or friends clicking beer mugs in a bar. Travel in any form can be rewarding but if done solo, it can heal up old wounds, open a whole new world in front of you and help you see other side of the continent efficiently.
First of all, solo travel is increasing dramatically with millennials. They are no longer waiting to synchronize their schedules with friends or families to plan a vacation. Instead they are taking off all by themselves, when the wanderlust bug bites them hard enough. With this many travel companies are no longer charging the solo travel surcharge which used to be a norm until few years ago. So this might be the best time for solo travel yet, in terms of costs and options available.
With that, comes the actual challenge of traveling alone. It can be daunting at times, specially if you’re traveling to a new country and I personally request you to take care and precaution at every step of your trip, whether its your first solo travel or tenth. As a seasoned solo traveler myself, I never throw caution to the wind or take chances which are not needed to be taken. Here are my key musings from travels worldwide
- It feels super liberating to visit a place where no one knows you. Period.
2. When you travel alone, you call the shots. Not your partner, nor your tour guide and definitely not your family. As a result you learn how to take responsibility for your decisions with no scape goats to blame.
3. You can learn about a new country much more authentically by relating to locals and not by staying in curated hotels. With Airbnb options literally popping up in around 200 countries, local destinations are the way to go. Remember the good ol’ days of pen-pals? It feels something like that – with a unique charm to first time interactions with unknown people.
4. You acquire a deep understanding of your own self. Think you know yourself well enough? Try observing yourself as a third person while interacting with humans in different situations. You get a sense of your true self, your fears, your motivations, your wants much better and faster than you would while experiencing the same situation in a group.
5. They say distance makes the heart grow fonder. It’s true. You will find yourself with enough alone-time to sort all your relationships back home, with perspective. You will know which people are really important in your life and which ones you should dump.
So, pick up that backpack and book your tickets to answer that wanderlust call. Especially, if you are an entrepreneur like moi – you will feel your creativity and clarity of focus going up way higher on a solo trip. I purpotely plan one solo trip a year, to clear my head up and set my priorities right. Just remember to be safe and send me pics of your solo adventures 📸
xoxo – Kevin.
live the journey 