10 Lessons Solo Traveling Teaches You About Yourself

Last updated on : July 14 2022

The Excitement Of Solo-Traveling

The American actress Ellen Burstyn once said, "What a lovely surprise to finally discover how unlonely being alone can be." 

Contemplating her words helps you realize how many adventures await when you dive deeper into yourself and disconnect from the whole world for a while. 

However, our surrounding communities, accompanied by life responsibilities, don't make it easy to disconnect from the world, leaving solo traveling an excellent option to accomplish alone time.

Although it might be intimidating to travel alone and venture into the unknown with so many questions in mind about what might go wrong, it can be the most liberating and exciting experience of your life. 

One day you'll leave this world behind, so live a life you will remember; if you recognize the last sentence from AVICII, you're halfway there on your decision to travel alone.

Break the dull routine, explore the world from a different angle, challenge your limits, meet new people and cultures, put your skills to the test, and positively impact your life. 

This article highlights ten lessons solo traveling teaches you about yourself.

1. Overcome your fears.

"Thinking will not overcome your fear, but action will."

W. Clement Stone

Hitting the road alone and getting out of your comfort zone is a big step. You may feel anxious about many things in life, like communicating with strangers, heights, oceans, or being lonely, but facing your fears along the way is evadable. 

In traveling solo, every day is a new challenge putting you face to face with your fears. No one you know will be around to help get things done. Therefore, you'll be forced to overcome everything and discover your true potential.

Traveler tip

Before your solo travel begins, note your fears on a list, and while on your journey, strike off each one as you conquer it. 

2. Listen to yourself.

"People listen to the noise of the world instead of themselves"

Leon Brown

When was the last time you talked to yourself? Not just a couple of words but a fully standing conversation. 

Traveling solo means having more "me" time because it enables getting in touch with your inner thoughts. Although spending time with companions like friends or family is great, spending some time alone is a joyful and soul-enriching experience everyone must try.

The only voice to hear is your voice, and when you listen to yourself more, the new aspects you probably ignored or didn't notice for a long time will surprise you. 

After all, being alone is not necessarily bad; it is an opportunity to embrace discovering yourself.

Traveler tip

In a world full of trends, it's OK to be classic. Bring a notebook and pen, and write down all your feelings, ideas, considerations, and whatever comes across your mind every day of your solo travel. This method helps to organize your thoughts efficiently.

3. Survive with less.

"You only lose what you cling to."

Buddha

Money and luggage are what you learn to manage as you travel alone. The choice is yours to turn your journey into an expensive or affordable one. However, no matter your choice, you will learn to manage your resources wisely after a while. 

For example, staying at a hotel costs three times more than a shared accommodation or a local hostel.

Also, with less luggage, you'll be saying goodbye to many things and sticking with essentials. Getting rid of extra useless stuff will be welcomed, and the feeling of having the "must-have new trendy jeans" will suddenly fade away. 

No more wasted hours putting on makeup or choosing what to wear. Instead, spend that time on the beach, in the forest, or touring local markets somewhere becomes a better idea. 

4. Take responsibility

"Whatever happens, take responsibility."

Tony Robbins

The worst part of solo traveling is that you can't blame anyone else but yourself. You have a lot of things to deal with, from arriving on time and not missing the transportation schedules, dealing with local people speaking another language, or taking safety precautions against pickpockets. 

You will be responsible for everything, cautious, and constantly aware.

Traveler tip

When traveling solo, you must protect your money and ensure all your credit cards are safe in your wallet. Therefore, consider using RFID wallets as a reasonable and effective solution. The Radio-Frequency Identification technology blocks the pickpockets' readers and prevents them from stealing your financial information.

5. Easily make new friends and get rid of people you don't like

"There's not a word yet for old friends who just met"

Jim Henson

While traveling solo, you will be more approachable than traveling with a group of people. Being alone on the trip makes you eager to meet new people. Other travelers will also look for interacting and sharing stories. 

You may come across another traveler on the train or at a coffee shop where sparking a conversation won't be so difficult. Moreover, meeting locals and interacting with strangers will improve your social skills as you develop techniques to break the ice, such as putting down the phone and actively listening to what is happening around you. 

Traveler tip

As time passes, you will reconsider your relationships and think about ending the toxic ones that are taking you nowhere. So, spend enough time thinking about all those relationships and decide to change things when you're back home.

6. Observe without judging.

"Observation is awakening to the revelation of life."

George Prime

Being exposed to a new culture will test your beliefs and assumptions. Getting close to unfamiliar traditions, behaviors, religions, and customs without anyone influencing your thoughts will be mind-opening, and you will learn to accept others with no pre-judgment.

As you travel, meet new people, and visit new places. The imagined barriers of the world will break down one by one, transforming judgment into acceptance and enjoyment of exploring the hidden facts about the world.

Traveler tip

Whenever you come across a new cultural behavior that interests you, ensure to read about it and find out more information about its reasons or history. Most importantly, please show respect to everyone around and embrace their habits. 

7. Take care of yourself.

"Taking care of myself doesn't mean 'me first.' It means 'me, too."

L.R. Knost

Sometimes we subconsciously lose ourselves in the chaos of life and all the pressures it last upon us. Family and friends also play a prominent role in that pressure since there are always people you need to take care of first. 

However, traveling solo means you can dedicate more time to taking care of only yourself. It doesn't mean you're escaping your responsibilities but creating a balance of what others want and what you need.

Furthermore, you'll learn to care for yourself emotionally and find inner peace. Loving yourself is a survival tactic and the only way to enjoy the journey, and meditation for a short time daily might be a helpful practice in this regard. 

8. Handle your emotions.

Real life is busy, hectic, and overwhelming. Traveling solo will help you slow down this speeding track of events, giving you the space to calm down and tune with your feelings. 

Having enough time with yourself will help you identify emotions and feelings and reconsider what evokes your motives. Find what makes you happy, embrace it, control what makes you angry and relieve the stress to improve your life. 

9. Make decisions in the most unpredictable situations. 

"At its best, life is completely unpredictable."

Christopher Walken

Be prepared to learn from the school of life, the toughest yet best teacher you've ever met. Traveling solo means finding yourself in many unforeseen problems where you must make a decision quickly and act upon it. 

The golden rule of thumb you'll learn about your actions is: There will be consequences; there always are! 

You will be in command of all your executive decisions, especially the spontaneous and random ones. Although everyone makes mistakes, it's important to admit and learn from them. As time passes, you'll realize that your gut instinct is trustworthy and reliable.

Travel tip

Utilize the 10-10-10 strategy to make decisions; think about the results of your decision in 10 minutes, then ten months, and finally ten years. It sounds simple, but this strategy could be helpful when marrying a dancer you just met in Vegas!

10. You learn that your abilities are practically limitless.

"When nothing is sure, everything is possible."

Margaret Drabble

Break the limited repetitive activities of molded life and open the doors wide for new challenges. Empower your confidence and realize it doesn't matter what comes next because you will handle it anyway. 

After all, if you manage to travel on your own with all unexpected events, you'll come back home feeling like you can conquer anything.

Many people leave this world not knowing what their hidden powers are. We're not talking about magic but the underlying potential of every human being, and it's your responsibility to unleash the beast in you. 

Traveling solo is a helpful way to discover your capabilities and push your limits to the maximum.

Conclusion

Traveling alone is an experience everyone must have at least once in a lifetime. If you dread your next solo trip, don't! It might be a lifetime adventure. 

Being on your own will get you closer to your inner self to appreciate and learn about it. So, no need to wait for a second longer - light the spark of adventure, pack your stuff and embark on a fantastic journey that will broaden your horizons.

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