Whether you decide to strap on a backpack and head off to see the world on your own or head away and have a great time working abroad through a travel nursing company or some such endeavor, doing something like this on your own can provide you with some unique experiences and unforgettable experiences. Although getting away as part of a group may be fun, there is something that is really special about getting away on your own and as someone who has both worked abroad and clocked up a fair few solo travel miles, I wanted to share with you some of the incredible discoveries that you will most definitely make when you go traveling alone.
Personal Discoveries
When you are in a group setting, you are very much in your comfort zone and if you do not want to wander away from it, you don’t have to. Traveling on your own is a different proposition however and you are often forced to get away from your comfort zone and meet new people and experience new things. Throughout this process you will discover things about yourself that you were perhaps unaware of. On a personal note, I can certainly say that most of the confidence which I have is thanks to the times when I travelled alone.
Local Area Discoveries
The real beauty about traveling alone is that you can do what you want, whenever you want, something that is not always guaranteed when you travel with others. This freedom will inevitably lead you to museums, cafes, bars, restaurants and cultural hotspots that you would perhaps not have visited if you weren’t on your own. Indeed some of the coolest places that I have been to have been as a result of stumbling upon them whilst wandering about on my own. Traveling with others requires compromise when it comes to where you go and when, and you may not always get to do everything that you want, traveling alone is the perfect remedy to this.
Discovering Other People
Most humans are highly sociable creatures and even if you are traveling on your own, there will be times that you want a little bit of company or someone to shoot the breeze with for a while. This craving for human contact can allow you to meet some truly interesting, wonderful and exciting people, not always admittedly but I always find it fascinating to connect with new people and find out what their story is. Traveling with others will usually prevent you from meeting new people as you will be happy with the company that you already have, head out alone however and you will soon find yourself in the midst of new people with different stories.
Have you been traveling on your own before? What were your best experiences and why did you like or dislike it so much. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below, we’d love to hear from you.
