The Biggest Advantage Of Traveling Alone
One of the biggest attractions of travel is the power it holds to trigger psychological growth. When you return from a major trip, you will have changed. This is especially true if you have been traveling alone. Whatever your age, sex, or background, solo travel will change you for the better. Not only will you return with new memories and possibly new friends, but solo travel holds the power to seriously increase your mental strength.
So…Solo travelers of all demographics have one thing in one common – they are mentally strong. Why?
Read on to find out why people who travel alone possess great mental strength.
1. Traveling alone proves that you can enjoy yourself even when no one else is around.
Once you realise that you are capable of having fun without relying on someone else to either generate activity ideas or to approve of your choices, you will be tremendously empowered. You may even find that you prefer to spend significant amounts of time by yourself, rather than be enslaved to someone else’s choices. People who travel alone depend on no-one else for a good time.
2. Taking solo trips means that you know you can trust yourself.
It is down to you and you alone to choose where you will go, what you will do, how you will finance the trip, where you will stay, and so on. Traveling entails making many choices, so having the freedom to make them all by yourself will force you to develop a self-image as a trustworthy, competent individual.
3. People who travel alone are adaptable.
If you have spent time exploring a number of new countries and cultures, this means that you are adaptable. Forcing yourself out of your comfort zone is always a risk, and if you are to fully enjoy the experience then you need to remain flexible when encountering new ways of life. Such experiences will mean you are less likely to fear change in other areas of your life, and makes you more likely to take risks.
4. Traveling alone also means that you learn to communicate well with other people.
Sometimes you will have to face language barriers and cultural differences that have to be overcome with a bit of ingenuity and patience. This has the positive effect of making you more willing to meet other people halfway, whether at home or abroad. You may even end up with new friends as a result.
5. People who travel alone are self-reliant.
Being solely responsible for your own well being and enjoyment encourages you to develop self-reliance. If you go traveling for any significant length of time, you will run into difficulties and obstacles. What matters isn’t so much whether you face these challenges, but how you overcome them. When there is no one there to bail you out, you will find yourself digging deep to access inner resources you may never have even known you possessed.
If you are to successfully make it from one place to another, lining up trains and planes as necessary, you need to be able to organise yourself. Traveling alone gives you plenty of opportunities to practice this important skill. Obviously this can only yield positive returns in other areas of your life, such as maintaining a clean house and meeting deadlines at work.
6. If you travel alone, you gain the valuable opportunity for self-reflection.
Taking trips alone also gives you the time and space to engage in meaningful self-reflection. Without a travel partner by your side, it is up to you to make create your own sense of meaning from every trip. Self-reflection can be painful at times, but also fulfilling. Time alone whilst traveling affords you the chance to take a careful look at yourself, your life, and your experiences.
So the next time you travel solo, congratulate yourself. With every trip, you are increasing your mental resilience and building a useful psychological skill set that will help you grow in all areas of your life.
Featured photo credit: Kace Rodriguez via unsplash.com
