Why I Travel Solo
An ode to stepping outside your comfort zone
Some say it’s not the destination that matters, but the company you keep along the way. And it’s true that travel can be a great way to connect and deepen relationships. It’s also incredibly fun to spend quality time with people you care about, and create memories that will live on beyond you because they’re shared with someone else.
But travel is also an amazing way to learn more about yourself, and solo travel can be just as rewarding as traveling with company (even more-so).
Now that I’m in my 30s, I feel so much more confident in who I am, what I like to do and how I prefer to spend my time. I really love my own company and feel most at peace when I listen to my intuition and follow my own rhythms. My curiosity for exploration drew me to solo travel, even though the idea initially felt daunting, and it has been such a fulfilling and empowering experience.
For me, travel is something I do to satiate my curiosity about the world. I travel to expand my worldview, to learn about new cultures, to be reminded of how humans are so similar and different at the same time. And I travel for my own self-development: to explore myself in a new place, to test the edges of my comfort zone and confront my beliefs about what I believe to be true. I travel to discover new things I could love that I didn’t even know existed. To bring novelty, inspiration and expansion into my life.
Here’s why I travel solo, and why you should consider it, too:
1. Life is short
There’s no time like the present.
I’m not someone who reserves travel for the distant future. The world is changing fast, and social unrest, climate change and overtourism are only worsening. You don’t know when the next pandemic, conflict, job proposal or health setback will interfere with your travel plans. There are so many places I wish I could visit that are now off-limits.. maybe forever. Syria, Lebanon, Myanmar, Yemen and Iran are just a few.
Your favorite places also aren’t what they used to be 20 years ago, and they certainly won’t look the same 10 years from now (for better, or more likely, for worse). I wish I had visited Bali 15 years ago before Instagram and Digital Nomadism took over. I arrived in Rome in 2010 and the city has changed so much since then. There’s no time to wait to embark on a dream trip, and life almost always gets more complicated as we get older.
2. Solo travel is empowering
It’s life-changing to take full responsibility for your life: your joy, your transformation and how you spend your time. And to realize you can do uncomfortable things. You are more capable than you think, and you are always enough.
You can eat meals at a restaurant alone, navigate transportation in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language and enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience without anyone there to share it with you.
It’s empowering to step outside of your comfort zone and embrace your independence. Solo travel forces you to confront your fears around uncertainty, loneliness and boredom.
It’s affirming to rely on yourself — and the goodwill of others. When we travel alone, we have to put our faith in things beyond our control: we have to trust strangers, embrace new cultural norms, adapt to unfamiliar situations. Experiencing peoples’ kindness first-hand is a really powerful example of how we’re connected to others.
It’s liberating to be whoever you are when you’re alone. Community is powerful but it can interfere with our inner voice as we seek to adapt to cultural norms and other people’s expectations. Having the opportunity to explore who you are and what you feel — without being conditioned by anyone — is a gift.
It’s humbling to be an outsider for many reasons. We become so complacent in our routines and comfort zone; it’s healthy to widen our perspectives, exist in the minority and observe how other people live their lives without being at the top of the food chain.
It’s inspiring to exist outside of place and time where you can’t predict what awaits you tomorrow or next week. When you leave room for spontaneity, you leave room for magic.
And it’s so fun to do exactly what you want, when you want, without compromise!
3. You can go at your own rhythm
When you travel alone, you get to do exactly what you want, when you want, without disappointing anyone (or yourself by succumbing to peer pressure). You learn so much about yourself when you’re in charge of every decision: where to stay, what to visit, how busy you want to be. It gives you a chance to discover who you are and what you really love.
We all have different travel styles. I’m a culture hunter and love admiring local architecture, visiting temples and markets, picking up unique souvenirs at artisan boutiques, wandering around with my camera and capturing scenes of local life. I prefer visiting cool neighborhoods, art museums and small towns to surfing, skiing or hiking (unless the views are amazing). I don’t want to get up at the crack of dawn or join group tours or stay out late partying. So solo travel works really well for me.
4. I haven’t found the right partner..
Would I love to explore the world with the perfect travel partner? Someone who has similar values, interests and lifestyle as me — who will accompany me on adventures, happily split vegetarian dishes, join me on photo walks and help me with my luggage? Yes.
But I haven’t met that person yet, and I’m not going to put off my travel dreams until I find my ideal travel companion. Life is short. I believe that everything happens at the right time, so I’m going to have as much fun as possible in the meantime and trust that I will bump into him along the way.
5. ..and it’s hard to coordinate with friends
It’s difficult to organize trips around different work schedules and life commitments. And it’s hard to travel with someone if your personalities aren’t aligned. Travel means different things to everyone — for some its a chance to bond with friends and family, for others its a way to celebrate a special occasion. Some people travel to relax and get away from it all, while others travel to get outside and enjoy adventure sports. You have to really get along with someone to spend weeks traveling together.
You also need to be on the same page financially. When you travel solo, you can splurge or spend as little as you like without asking for permission.
Some considerations on solo travel
Some people have very real fears around personal safety, health concerns or disabilities that impede them from traveling alone. This isn’t something you have to do. Solo travel is empowering, but it’s not always easy. You do have to do your due diligence about visiting certain destinations and make smart decisions during your trip, especially as a female traveler.
I usually avoid staying out late or going to bars alone. I dress appropriately for the country I’m visiting so I don’t attract too much unwanted attention. I stay in nice hotels where I’ll feel comfortable and safe. I share my itinerary and hotel reservations with my family beforehand so someone knows where I am in the world. I buy health insurance, stay up-to-date with my vaccines and travel with medicines I could need.
Solo travel can also be more expensive considering you’ll be often be booking hotels, taxis and tours on your own — especially if you want maximum flexibility — so it does feel like a privilege not everyone can afford. But you don’t have to fly across the world to travel solo. You can stick closer to home and start with a weekend trip to dip your toe in while you get more comfortable trusting yourself.
When you shouldn’t travel solo
There are certain countries where I have felt safer traveling with a friend, for instance on recent trips to Egypt and Tunisia. But I know women who have visited these destinations on their own and felt perfectly safe, so it really comes down to your comfort zone. Listen to your instincts and do what feels best for you.
I also think there are certain experiences that are much more fun in company, like going on safari, sailing and staying in luxury resorts on remote islands. I’ve done all of these solo, and although I enjoyed my time, these experiences would have been more fun with company.
If you’re a solo traveler, what’s your favorite aspect of it? And if you’re interested in trying it but haven’t taken the plunge yet, what’s holding you back?