5 Reasons to Solo Travel
On my 25th Birthday solo trip to Chiang Mai, Thialand
Traveling as a woman, let alone a black woman can be daunting. Traveling alone is sometimes a whole different ballgame. 80% of my travel has been solo. I’ve been able to meet strangers that turned in to friends along the way.
Since I am an only child and I don’t have family members near my age, I’ve always been quasi-independent. Whatever I’ve wanted to do, I’ve been able to do, and traveling has been no different. The thought of traveling solo can be scary, but traveling, in and of itself is not. Granted, if you’re not interested in solo travel that is completely fine. This post is geared towards those that are, and need a little push.
On a solo trip to Chefchaouen, Morocco in October 2019
If you have reservations about traveling alone, you have to first ask yourself, what is it that you’re afraid of, and address that head-on! Could it be not having anyone to talk to? If you have the gift of gab, speak to those around you when you go out to the restaurant bar, in the hotel lobby or pool, as well as on different excursions. Afraid of your safety while alone? Completely understandable. Read my blog post on safety while traveling solo.
I think we’ve all been in the situation where we wanted to go to on a vacation and sent the details en mass to the group text and everyone oohed and aahd about how they wanted to go and they were already picking out outfits? Slowly but surely, as the days and weeks passed the people interested started to dwindle and your friends came up with excuses about how they couldn’t get off of work, couldn’t afford it, or had responsibilities at home they had to tend to. Now here you are, sad and upset because you had your heart set on living it up on a vacation with your friends that is now canceled.
But, why should it be canceled? You can still take that trip by yourself!
On a solo trip to Paris, France in October 2019
Here are 5 reasons why you should try solo travel:
You aren’t limited to anyone’s schedule. You can wake up as early or as late as you want to and go wherever you want to without anyone slowing you down or asking, “Why do we have to stop here?”. You’ll be able to make experiences at your own leisure, going at your own pace.
Gain confidence. If you’re afraid to talk to strangers, you may feel empowered to dabble in a few words of a foreign language if you’re in a different country, figure out directions stateside, or even ask locals for their recommendations. You’ll be responsible for you, and only you — having to manage an itinerary, transportation, and all of the other intricacies, you’ll gain confidence that you can do things on your own and be self-reliant. Now, you should still use the same common sense that you have at home, away from home.
Usually, no wait time at restaurants. If you don’t book dinner reservations for that party of 6, most times, you’ll be S.O.L. at restaurants. As a solo traveler, you will more than likely always be able to find seating for one, especially bar seating. You’ll also receive faster service compared to waiting on an order for 5 other people to come out.
Meet New People. If you frequent touristy areas on vacation, you will find travelers who are just like you — sometimes traveling solo and looking for others to meet and hang out with. You can even meet people on excursions and tours. You will meet locals by sparking a conversation at a restaurant, at a shop, or on the street. Solo travel is not limited only to extroverted people. I think that is one of the many joys of solo travel — you can interact with as many or as few people as you’d like. I am farthest from an extrovert, but I enjoy meeting new people from all walks of life.
If you ever feel like you need to hang out with someone while traveling, utilizing Meetup is great to meet a group of people at events that have the same hobbies and passions as you. Also, if you’re a part of any travel groups on Facebook, you can create a post to ask if anyone is also vacationing at the same time, to meet up.Self Discovery. Traveling without family or friends gives you the freedom to try new things and get out of your comfort zone without having to ask or be weary of others’ opinions. Want to try an interesting food item on the menu? Order it. Want to try an adrenaline-seeking activity? Book it. Want to walk around a new city aimlessly just to explore off the beaten path? Do it. When traveling solo, you’re able to figure out what you like and don’t like, without the noise from others.
Solo trip to Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand for my 25th Birthday
