3 Lessons Solo Travel Has Taught Me About Myself

The idea for this post occurred to me during a week where I’ve actually been really occupied with solo travel plans, so it seemed apt to put pen to paper (read: fingers to keyboard) to speak to the concept of travelling as a party of one, and why it is something you should never rule out.

First things first, solo travel does not need to be an entire holiday where you are on your own 24/7 (but if you like the sound of that, by all means shoot for the stars, doll). It can take the form of booking a spot on a tour group who run a set itinerary, or getting in touch with independent guides in the area beforehand who can suggest and arrange activities for you (all to be covered in future posts). So just bear that in mind as you read this. We are not talking seclusion-in-a-cave-for-a-week here (but go for it if that sounds like heaven).

When I sat and contemplated the life lessons I have learned from experiencing solo travel, I came up with 3 main lessons that I’m willing to share here. But this list is by no means comprehensive!

Lesson 1: I’m able for a lot more than I realise.

The thought of navigating airports and other bits like that on my own seemed very daunting at first - naturally, given that I am a woman living in the world. I remember being in South East Asia - my first solo adveture - going from one airport to another to start the next excursion constantly looking over my shoulder, checking my pockets round the clock, and refusing to part with my luggage for even a second for fear some undesirable would flee with it, even if this meant squeezing all my bags into a clammy airport bathroom cubicle so as not to leave them out of sight.

But I was okay. I was never met with calamity, and thankfully the things I have had to manage on my own have always run smoothly.

As well as that, being on my own on a flight, in a car, or during my holiday downtime was never dull. I learned that boredom is a choice, and that I could choose to alleviate it by reading, meditating, listening to podcasts, or exploring the area I was staying in if it was safe to do so. I realised I didn’t NEED others to have fun. It is impossible to feel lonely when you like who you’re alone with.

Lesson 2: I like being in charge of what I do.

No prizes for guessing what I do for a living, then. Considering how out-of-control life can be (don’t anyone mention 2020), exercising healthy autonomy where you can is powerful. If there is something in the Google suggestions that “everyone does” which does not interest you, you are under no obligation to experience it. Instead, you can populate your itinerary with activities and sites which are important to you. You don’t have to sacrifice your time in this new country or region doing something you’d rather not be doing, for someone else’s sake.

I loved this during my South East Asia trip, where the travel company with whom I went had optional excursions we could do for a little extra cost, such as a day trekking with elephants in Thailand, or a bike ride around the paddy fields of northern Vietnam. The fact that I didn’t need to consult with a friend or boyfriend, and just go with what I wanted to do, was so freeing and allowed me to flex the muscle of my own independence.

Lesson 3: I embrace parts of myself I sometimes try to hide.

To anyone who knows me, it probably doesn’t come as a surprise that I am a gigantic nerd. So when I travel, I want to immerse myself in the culture, the history, the geography, and soak up as much of the place as I can. When I’m travelling alone, I don’t fear judgement for asking lots of questions of the guide, or testing out the local language, or writing down new information in my Notes app as if I’m in a college lecture. There have been times I’ve travelled with friends and been made to feel strange or annoying for being inquisitive, or attempting to speak the language. I’m sure no-one intends to bring me down, but I sometimes feel like my geekiness, which increases tenfold on holidays, is too much for people. At least with a new group of people, no-one is familiar with any past, or ‘usual’, version of me, therefore I can be whoever I want. There's some comfort in telling yourself you'll never see any of those people again, but believe me when I say that you make friends for life when you travel solo as part of a wider group, and parting ways with these incredible people is a very sad, sad time indeed.

To conclude, any kind of holiday is a great experience, and, needless to say, a privilege. Exploring the world in a huge group sure as hell beats staying in your hometown for the rest of your days, but my humble advice regarding solo travel would be to give yourself credit and to test your capability and comfort levels. Parts of it are nerve-wracking, yes, but it is also one of the most rewarding and educational things you can do for yourself. Spoken like a true teacher, of course.