MasonSolo traveling has been a hit lately in the tourism industry. Many people, especially the young generation, want to explore new destinations and places even when no one is joining them. Apart from being the owner of your time and travel planning, solo traveling has plenty of benefits. Hence, many people choose to travel alone rather than in a company. And if you ask a solo traveler this question, the first and the most obvious answer would be the ability to be able to go wherever they want. The idea of traveling on your terms motivates many people, and according to recent studies, the interest grows every year. In the last couple of years, there has been an over 42% increase in solo traveling.
Finding yourself through solo traveling
When traveling alone, people tend to become more independent in their decisions and time management. It also gives you the chance to be free with your communication and connections with new people. With that said, solo traveling not only gives you a great opportunity to enjoy your time abroad alone but also affects your entire life. It can encourage you to grow and expand your viewpoint as a person. And here is why:
- You become more independent – In other words, you become the only responsible person for your choices in an unfamiliar country and culture. So this gives you a chance to gain more confidence in your decision-making process.
- Problem-solving is unavoidable – Of course, you deal with many problems in your day-to-day life. But when we add those problems and minor issues being managed in another destination, far from home, you get the challenge to solve your problems in a new way.
- Taking risks – With the confidence, you gain experience while traveling, you become more comfortable with taking the risks that are required to accomplish something. Although it is always recommended to thoroughly consider each consequence, risk-taking can change your whole life to another level.
- You understand yourself better – When traveling solo, you learn more about yourself. You see yourself from the points of view you have never experienced. Your strengths, weaknesses, and passions become more expressed when you are alone in a new place.
- You make happen whatever you want – Since you are in control of all your actions during your solo travel journey, you can make things happen the way you want.
The recent studies by travel experts have shown that 11% of solo travelers gained more confidence during their solo traveling. They say that traveling alone allowed them to be more responsible for their choices.
Tips to enjoy your trip even when you are solo traveling
The very first trip alone, especially abroad, is a bit scary for everyone. And for some people, it can come so naturally to travel solo. Either way, there are amazing tips that can make your journey easier, and be in love with this type of traveling.
- Don’t be afraid to chat with locals – English is an international language, and you can certainly find people in any country who speaks English. If you are an introvert, it would be difficult for you to chat with strangers at first. But when you decide to go on a trip to another country, you can’t avoid communication. You can always develop your communication skills, no matter how old you are.
- Eat local food -Experiencing the local cuisine in each country you travel will bring you so many emotions and sensations. Local cuisine is part of each country’s culture and history. So not only do you explore the destinations with your eyes, but also with your taste buds.
- Explore local shops – It is not a secret that there are so many tourist destinations with overpriced stuff all around. Try to avoid those places and follow locals to the places they shop. Normally such places have normal prices, and the quality can even be better. It is also another experience to put yourself in the local’s shoes and experience what they experience daily.
- Day trips are great for exploring everything – Taking day tours with groups and traveling with different people can help you spend more social time and enjoy the accompany of other travelers. One of the social campaigns for solo traveling has reported that 24% of solo travelers make friends during group trips with other solo travelers.
With that said, solo traveling has surely become one of the trendiest ways to travel in recent years. Many people enjoy spending their time alone, exploring new towns, countries, continents. Not only it allows them to control their own time, but it also affects their way of thinking in many situations. Solo traveling has endless advantages that can also affect your normal life, besides traveling. What is more important, is to do a lot of research before visiting any country, find the best places for amazing experiences and wanderlust.
