Recently, I hit the road for my first solo trip. The Fourth of July was approaching and I had two paid days off from work, so I wanted to take advantage of the four day weekend. I had already been regularly traveling in prior weeks including two weekend trips with my boyfriend, Clearwater and St. Pete with a friend, Miami with my cousin and Tampa with my parents. It’s was getting harder and harder to find someone whose travel desires, availability and ability could line up with mine. I got it, but I wasn’t going to let it get in my way!
It was around this time I stumbled upon Allison Anderson’s videos wherein she discussed why she started solo traveling. She said she wrote out a list of places she wanted to visit and if she waited for someone to go with her, she might never see these places. Coincidentally, Allison also shared about her solo Charleston to Savannah trip and that pretty much sealed the deal for me. Savannah is my favorite city and I’ve been there several times so I was familiar enough with the area and drive that I felt comfortable enough to venture that way on my own. So, it was decided, I would take my first solo trip to Savannah and then Charleston. Of course, after I announced it, I had friends who wanted to join me, but I was determined to make this trip alone - and I did! I had a great time and look forward to many future solo trips.
Here are a few reasons you might love solo travel also:
1. It’s highly meditative and a great time to work on your own personal development and personal discovery journey. Driving on it’s own is highly meditative to me. When I am forced to focus on the road, my mind tends to wander. Spending that much time alone, with little distraction, gave me a lot of time to reflect. I’m really into spirituality and I love to discover new things about myself. I like to have those ‘ah-ha moments’ and I was lucky enough to have had a lot of those moments on this trip. Additionally, you can use this time to listen to podcasts, Youtube videos or audio books on personal development topics if you choose. Also, if you download Youtube Red you can download videos to listen to even if you’re out of reception.
2. You learn to be resourceful. Traveling solo forced me to do a lot of things I normally depend on someone else to do with me, for example help me navigate with directions while driving or remember what parking garage floor we parked on! It was strangely satisfying to come upon a small obstacle and to be the only one around to solve it.
3. You get to prove that you can do it. Every once in a while, it’s nice to leave your comfort zone. Most people will be shocked to learn you are adventuring alone and will claim they are not brave or adventurous enough so proving yourself in this way to others, or even yourself, is a tiny little bonus. I’m a notoriously horrible driver. So, my friends and family were understandably concerned, but I wasn’t. I packed a taser and some mace, got an oil change, filled up my tires with air and I didn’t have any problems.
4. You don’t have to miss out on anything. If you are lucky enough to have the desire and means to travel, you should. You shoudln’t force yourself to miss a trip, concert, or heck even a new movie premiere because you’re afraid to go alone. Go! You will have an amazing vacation all by yourself and the memories you will make and lessons you will learn will be irreplaceable.
5. You get to do what you want to do - and not much else! Sometimes, it’s nice to call all the shots! You will get to do exactly what you want to do, whenever you want to do it. You won’t have to take anyone else into consideration. You won’t have to visit a museum you have no interest in or stop at five bathrooms in two hours even when you don’t have to use it. You wont have to go back to the hotel so someone can rest or eat at a cheap diner instead of a raw bar due to the constraints of someone else’s budget or lack there of. Most importantly, you wont have to have the dreaded “Where do you want to eat” conversation. SOLD!
6. It’s a lot easier to wing it. It’s easier to get into restaurants when you’re just one person. A lot of restaurants in tourist areas will be busy pretty much all of the time, but if you’re just one you can usually walk right in and find a place at the bar. This is also a good place to strike up a conversation with a local or another solo traveler if you’re feeling lonely or feel self-conscious about dining alone. It’s also a lot easier to squeeze in to otherwise sold out or booked up shows or tours when there’s just you.
7. You will have conversations you wouldn’t have otherwise had. When you’re traveling with another companion, that’s who you tend to talk to. Since you will be alone, you will be more likely to talk to the waitress, bar tender, shop owner, Uber driver and other people in general. This is a nice way to learn more about the area also.
8. No whining! As a mom, this one has to go on the list. My man is extremely patient but does your man ever get tired of waiting for you while you’re shopping? No one likes to feel rushed. Better yet, us moms have all had to deal with that crying toddler, dirty diaper or bored older child who is too hot and wants an ice cream ASAP. I promise you, you will not have any of that on a solo trip.
9. It’s easier to be in the moment. When you travel with others, its’s easy to focus on them and miss what is going on around you. When you’re not distracted by another’s company or conversation you can really observe the sights and sounds around you and be in the present moment and there is no better time to be in the now then when you’re exploring a new place.
10. You will come back with an amazing story to tell. Even if you only break way for a night, you will always remember the time you ran off by yourself!
Have you traveled alone? What did you learn? If you’re considering traveling on your own, what questions or concerns do you have?