As someone who has more travel apps downloaded on their smartphone than your common calculator-email-calendar combo, trust me when I say that solo travel is the best present you can give yourself.
Without taking away from companionship or disregarding the safety net that is having someone by your side, at the end of the day (or trip), you will discover that much like a cheesy fortune cookie quote, the journey to self-discovery begins with a single step.
So if you have saved up on extra vacation days, are ready to smash your piggy bank and can’t wait to brush the dust off your soon-to-be dated passport, bookmark this page and start packing.
Here are our top reasons for why your next trip should be with the ultimate partner: yourself.
You Won’t Be Alone If wandering around aimlessly and alone is what you fear most – don’t.
One of the biggest deterrents of traveling with others is the fact that you are basically obligated to spend every waking hour with them. In addition to it becoming weary, people you may meet along the way might feel like third wheels trying to befriend someone who has their closed circle booked for the trip.
If anything, you will be much more approachable while taking up one-half of a bunk bed in a Berlin hostel, or going on a pub crawl armed with a smile.
Do What You Want Those who have traveled with another person in the past know the biggest obstacle to overcome is the planning of the trip.
You have not even arrived at the airport, and already you are bickering about whether you should spend an entire day in a museum or hiking through the highest mountain.
When you go solo, the only debate is what you want to do and when you want to do it. No one is there to put their foot down or pick a fight when things don’t go their way, since there is only one way – your way.
Spend/Save As Much As You Wish “Money must be funny in a rich man’s world” sang ABBA, and boy were they right. You’ve worked hard all year to pay off the trip of a lifetime, and it is only reasonable you will decide how to spend your earnings.
While some travelers might splurge on daily massages in Thailand, others may save every penny for bungy jumping they have been dreaming about ever since they can remember.
And so, when you are on your own, you can spend or save as much as you want. The decision of going to a Michelin-star restaurant or enjoying a bowl of street-cart prepared stir fried noodles is up to you.
It Will Keep You Asking For More A word of caution with this last tip – once you travel alone, the future is unknown.
Having effortlessly skipped over all those duo-trip hurdles, it is easy to fall in love with the concept of doing your own thing without having to fuss over insignificant matters and constraining characters clashing.
If anything, you will find yourself asking why you refused to give yourself the “me” time you so desperately deserve.
While an immense and overwhelming question mark will occasionally hover above your head and make you wonder if you’ve made the right choice, it is that very same, familiarly-unfamiliar, yet to be discovered journey that is everything you have been looking for.
