Everytime someone talks about travelling or tripping, the first thing that pops into my mind is a solo trip. Well, isn’t that the first thing that comes to your mind as well? I’m sure, it does. However, along with the idea and excitement of a solo trip, there definitely occurs a set of uncomfortable questions. Is travelling solo safe? What are the risks involved in travelling solo? Will I be able to pull off a solo trip all alone?
And especially if you’re a girl the number of questions certainly increases. No matter how bold we are, the idea of travelling solo always comes with a list of pros and cons and a number of questions that we probably won’t have a definite answer for. Not until we experience one of those on our own.
Nevertheless, the idea of travelling solo does, indeed, come with a list of pros and cons and questions that one has to find answers for on their own, irrespective of what their gender is. The risks involved in solo trips are pretty much the same for both men and women and so is the excitement of the trip. Everyone must take into account a few very important factors when getting ready for a solo trip. Making a plan is the first step in preparing for a solo trip. Prepare for your trip just as you would for one with your friends. Analyze your trip’s purpose in detail. Recognize whether going solo will be advantageous for you or difficult for you. A crucial part of getting ready for a solo trip is considering the potential benefits and drawbacks of going it alone.
Is solo travelling good?
When we talk about traveling solo I’ve always believed that travelling is the most liberating adventure a person can experience. However, travelling alone offers a completely new level of freedom and excitement. For me, travelling alone is always the best option because going on a trip with a group, friends, or anyone else may limit the number of risks and adventures you can take. When you travel with other people, you might be limited in what you can do and what you can experience.
Solo travelling in a lot of senses makes you an independent, self sufficient and a responsible individual. It’s the first step toward personal development, if I’m honest enough to put it out there for you. You can develop personally by taking care of yourself throughout the trip and making significant decisions about where you’re going or what you want to get out of it. Furthermore, while being responsible is an important aspect of the process, it is the process that enables the person who chooses to embark on a solo journey to experience personal growth. One of the main advantages of solo travelling is self-awareness.
You will start to understand yourself better while travelling alone, each day presenting a raw adventure. You’ll be aware of your limitations and the boundaries you’ve set for yourself. You might learn more about your preferences, dislikes, assets, and weaknesses. Most of the time, we are so busy going about our daily business that we hardly ever take the time to learn more about ourselves and determine our true needs. You’ll get the “me time” you probably didn’t even realise you needed by going on a solo vacation. And while you might not find all the answers you’ve been looking for in life, you might find some of them.
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Benefits of Solo Travelling
This section may seem superfluous given that I’ve already explained the benefits of travelling alone and why. But there are still a tonne more advantages to travelling alone, so I want to be clear that I’m not trying to sell you on the idea.
Since my first solo trip, that’s all I’ve talked about whenever the subject comes up, along with my plans for the next one. A solo trip has a lot of other benefits in addition to being the best for personal growth.
It is one of the most refreshing breaks for a tired mind. Solo trips, away from the world and from people who expect a lot from us, relax the soul, rejuvenate it, and instil a new zeal and enthusiasm for life. It even provides a person with a new perspective on the world and their own life, as well as a new reason to be alive. One significant benefit of solo travel is the opportunity to meet new people and learn new things, sometimes both at the same time. When you meet someone new, you not only meet and get to know the person, but you also get to know about their story, their life, their learnings, and, most importantly, their perspective and way of looking at life and the world.
During your journey, you meet some of the beautiful folks from extremely different walks of life. Making new acquaintances from other areas and ethnicities will also extend your horizons. You’ll realise how large life is and how much knowledge there is in the cosmos. You’ll even learn more about your interpersonal abilities. It will tell you how good your communication abilities are and where you fall short, as well as how you might improve. For lone travellers, meeting new people, trying new foods, seeing various cultures, hiking, and other activities are really blessings.
Being in diverse places necessitates adjusting one’s self to the needs of the environment. Solo travel might also assist you in breaking out of your shell and stepping beyond your comfort zone. Trying new things, especially ones that a person has never done before, necessitates a lot of adaptations. Some people go on solo vacations to face, battle, and overcome their anxieties, while others do so simply to broaden their horizons and obtain a more positive attitude on life. All of this necessitates stepping outside of one’s comfort zone. Some people are nervous about meeting new people and conversing with them; nevertheless, being on a solo vacation puts you in circumstances where you can’t avoid them.
The best advantage of solo trips and my favourite is the huge bags of memories and experiences we take back from the trip. Memories and moments from the time spent on the trip, and the people we spent it with and experiences we gain from all the risks we take on our own. A solo journey today will undoubtedly be a fantastic story to tell others, one that you will treasure for the rest of your life, a core memory that will be with you for the rest of your life. Many individuals go about their daily lives in a routine. What makes a difference, though, is spending time for yourself to create some lovely experiences to pass along.
I can say it’s subjective and depends on what people prefer, but honestly, it does not! Travelling solo is not just better, it’s, in fact, the best adventure you can choose for yourself and I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, Solo trips are not just vacations that one takes to get out of a monotonous life, it’s almost like a second life, a chance at changing your lifestyle, getting rid of the monotony altogether. When you come back with truck loads of memories, experiences, those that I’m sure would be extremely different from everybody else’s and wouldn’t have been possible with a group, a new perspective and a new way of looking at life and living it.
The best part about being on a solo trip is that there are no limits or restrictions. You don’t have to be somewhere at a particular time, nobody’s waiting on you and you won’t have to wait for someone either. You’re free to live as you want, go where you want, do what you like, take risks that you wouldn’t otherwise, you can be the master of your journey, you can choose your own destination most importantly you can even change your destination as and when you please without having to give a second thought for someone else.
Solo trips are the gateway to a different life, a second chance, a chance to be someone else, someone better than who you are, a chance to make yourself a person you’ve always wanted to be. When you travel with a group, you come back as the same person as you want, without a chance to improve, the same loads of expectations of others weighing you down, doing things as others would like, choosing adventures that everyone would be comfortable with. You might miss a lot of adventures and experiences that could be life changing only because you had to think about your companions as well when you are travelling in groups.
Also read: What’s your motivation to travel?
Disadvantages of travelling solo
Now I want you to remember all the benefits of solo tripping that I’ve listed previously as we finally talk about the few disadvantages that come along with the idea of travelling solo.
- Traveling alone can be quite costly because you won’t have anyone to split the cost of the trip with, so saving money may not be an option..
- While travelling alone, personal security and safety may be a concern. When it comes to female solo travellers, the risk to safety is even greater.
- When you’re travelling alone, you might feel a little lonely at times. At times, you may feel the need to speak with someone. Although you will meet new people on your trip, nothing beats a pleasant conversation with a close friend..
- While solo trips can be exciting, you may want to share some beautiful moments with someone at some point, but you won’t be able to. Your memories and moments would be solely yours.
- Most people we meet on trips are lovely people full of excitement and positivity, but occasionally you may meet people who aren’t as positive, and dealing with their thoughts and negativity can be difficult when you don’t have someone to talk to and clear your mind.
- If you become ill, you may have to care for yourself and do everything on your own.
- And yes! One significant disadvantage of travelling alone is that you will be unable to take your own photographs. You might not always find people who would be willing to help you click your pictures, although it’s situational but it’s still a possibility.
All said, I would still recommend every person to take their chance at solo trips and experience a different perspective of life and explore the world on one’s own terms and be liberated from the shackles of a monotonous lifestyle, one that everyone else follows. Afterall, a solo trip is a chance to be different from the rest with experience nobody else will ever be able to get!
