Positive Ways Solo Travel Will Change You

Have you ever thought about travelling alone? It seems like a daunting decision that could end up with you being sad and lonely while away from your friends and family for the duration of your trip. But, the truth is, there really is nothing for you to worry about.

So whether you’re taking to solo travel to mend a broken heart, spend some time alone in order to get to know yourself and what you want better, or fancy an adventure where you can meet new people instead of being surrounded by those you already know, here are five positive ways in which your solo experience will change you and your life for the better:

You Adapt to Being By Yourself

The feeling of being alone is one that most people believe you never get used to, and for those who enjoy being social and prefer to be surrounded by people as much as they can, I am sure that it is a hard thought to fathom. There is no doubt that setting out on an adventure all by yourself will be nerve wrecking at first, however, you will eventually adapt to being by yourself and gain a new sort of independence you never thought you would ever have. Travelling alone will give you a new appreciation for who you are, as well as give you the time to develop a new belief in yourself that you never thought was possible, knowing that you have no one to please while you are away but yourself.

You Learn to be Completely Present

We all have a number of things that we continue to worry about unnecessarily. Whether it is something you did in the past that you have continued to regret since then, or the building anxiety and uncertainty of what is to come in your future, the amount of worrying we do on a daily basis really has an adverse effect on our mental and physical wellbeing. Travelling alone gives you the time you need to focus on what is happening at that specific moment in time, and by focusing on the present instead of the past and the future, you will slowly start to learn that no matter how much worrying you do, there are certain things that cannot be changed. You will find that while you are travelling by yourself, you will learn to be fully present, allowing you to be grateful for what you have now, helping you let go of your past instead of letting it consume you, and helping you to prepare for your future instead of worrying about what is going to happen.

You Will Make New Friends

While travelling with your friends has its advantages, there is never really a time where you can put some effort in to meeting new people and making new friends. This is because you are already busy with the people you are travelling with. In contrast, when you travel alone, you are more likely to talk to new people, whether you ask them for directions or end up sitting next to someone you find interesting at a bar, you will become more and more comfortable with saying hi and getting a conversation going. Staying in hostels are a great way to meet people, too, as there are communal spaces where everyone tends to congregate and talk about what they are doing that day or what they have done so far during their trip. By taking part in these communal conversations you are more than likely to make some amazing new friends.

You Become a Stronger Person

There is no doubt that you are going to cry at least once while you’re away on a solo trip, as it is not an easy thing to do. You are almost guaranteed to get lost a few times and have moments of loneliness, but there is also no doubt that you will get through all of it, helping you to realise that you can handle a lot more than you thought and that you are stronger than you originally thought you were too. All of the things that you experience while you are away by yourself will help you conquer any difficult situation you are faced with when you are back home, making you not only feel stronger but also make you realise that you can do so much more than you thought you could before you went away.

You Will Learn So Much About Yourself

One of the things you will realise and learn almost immediately while you are away, are your strengths and weaknesses. By spending some one-on-one time with yourself, you cannot avoid confronting who you are. Meaning that you will end up finding out what qualities you like about yourself, and what qualities you don’t like about yourself – which isn’t a bad thing. You might realise that you don’t like the fact that you eat too much junk food, and that you are going to try and lead a healthier lifestyle because your body is suffering. Or, you might realise that you like that you work so hard and that you are reaching the goals you have set for yourself. But regardless of what you find out, you will realise that even the things that you do not like about yourself, are not that bad after all and can be altered.

Travelling by yourself may be something that you have never considered until now, but I hope that these positive changes urge you to book the solo holiday of your dreams, whether it be to a Dubai hotel suite or a hostel in Thailand.