Traveling alone can teach you a lot. Like how to hold your own in a conversation and how you don’t always have to say the right thing, but that it’s ok to stand by your values.
You may be allured by the dreamy pictures of couples posing on palm-covered beaches. You may be inspired by a story of finding love in an enchanting foreign city. But how much is too much? When does your urge for romance start to outweigh your need to see the world alone?
For most people, traveling solo is a terrifying prospect. But one of the best parts about being on your own is that you're not obligated to do anything you don't want to. You can explore at your own pace, seeing what grabs you and ignoring the rest; eating what you want and skipping the rest; meeting all sorts of new people-or just doing whatever it is that makes you happy: working, reading, walking the beach…
No matter how scared we are at first, research shows that we'll usually get used to traveling alone after a while. Once we get out there, we realize that nothing bad has happened. Instead of being rude or offensive, people are often extra friendly and helpful to solo travelers.
The benefits of traveling alone
I'm sure you can think of a few reasons you'd rather not travel alone-but the following list should convince you otherwise:
- It's cheaper! If your friends and family want to go on vacation with you, that's great but if they don't, it doesn't mean they don't love you any less. Rather than canceling an upcoming trip or splitting the cost with someone else, just go by yourself.
- If your friends and family want to go on vacation with you, that's great but if they don't, it doesn't mean they don't love you any less. Rather than canceling an upcoming trip or splitting the cost with someone else, just go by yourself. It's healthier! Going on a road trip with friends can be stressful: You're tired from staying up all night, getting up early for work, and watching TV the whole time. But if you go alone, you've got yourself to entertain. You can stay up as late as you want, sleep in as late as you want, and do whatever you want the whole time.
- Going on a road trip with friends can be stressful: You're tired from staying up all night, getting up early for work, and watching TV the whole time. But if you go alone, you've got yourself to entertain. You can stay up as late as you want, sleep in as late as you want, and do whatever you want the whole time. You'll have more time to explore off the beaten path! I've been on a few trips that my friends would've loved, but I didn't since I wanted to chill out and explore. Field research is great for business and it can be great for your soul too.
You might be thinking, why would you travel alone to a hotel full of wooden panels? Well, this is not an ordinary hotel. Wooden wall panels are a new way of preserving the natural environment and creating an eco-friendly atmosphere. Most importantly, this type of hotel will make you feel like your own boss. What do you need to get away from? Head to the wooden wall panel hotel for a little bit of solitude and relaxation.
What do you need in your life right now? A break from everyday stresses can lead to greater productivity and clarity if done properly.
The downside of traveling alone
Of course, there are downsides to traveling solo too:
- Travel could be dangerous. Don't forget to take precautions when traveling alone. You may have to cover a lot of ground, and there could be times you feel extremely vulnerable. It's important for you to have a backup plan in case something bad happens.
- Don't forget to take precautions when traveling alone. You may have to cover a lot of ground, and there could be times you feel extremely vulnerable. It's important for you to have a backup plan in case something bad happens. Your friends might not understand why you're making the trip at all! Traveling independently can be difficult for some people since they don't understand your motivations (or so they think). They might think you're a little crazy to go alone, and they may be resentful of your trip. To avoid conflict, tell them that you'll join them later. You could also try to convince them by saying that you're traveling in order to do something "big".
Traveling independently can be difficult for some people since they don't understand your motivations (or so they think). They might think you're a little crazy to go alone, and they may be resentful of your trip. To avoid conflict, tell them that you'll join them later. You could also try to convince them by saying that you're traveling in order to do something "big". It's lonely. A lot of times, people don't understand how isolated you feel when you travel alone. They might think you're living the life of a hermit — or worse, they might say something negative about your trip. It's important to tell friends that you're doing this for yourself, so they'll support your decision.
