7 Reasons to Travel Solo

“When you fearlessly navigate your journey embracing authenticity, accepting unexpected reroutes, releasing attachments and acknowledging the people you encounter as teachers, the experiences are like clues that guide you toward your purpose.”

(Featured Photos from my Solo Trip to Cartagena, Colombia where the primary language is Spanish and I barely know any Spanish! Believe it or not but the photographer only spoke Spanish so this was an interesting photoshoot.)

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The things that we consume daily (i.e what we eat, watch, listen to, practice, study, experience and etc.) incessantly mold us. Each day we decide whether we want to experience what feels safe and familiar by doing what we have always done which keeps us bound to one perception; or whether we want to experience what’s new and undiscovered which adds depth to our perceptions. One decision to travel offers us a multitude of new experiences and boundless ways of perceiving ourselves and the world around us. Each experience becomes a permanent part of who we are whether we thoroughly enjoyed it or whether we never want to have that particular experience again. Thus, it makes a lot of sense why deciding to go and especially deciding to go solo, could be a tough decision. Some of us are intimidated by it because it’s unfamiliar and the survival part of our ego gets anxious and automatically assumes we are unsafe. Therefore, we allow our fears (i.e being robbed, kidnapped, lost and etc.) convince us not to go. Others just do not fully have the audacity to spend the time alone. We need people around to validate that we are, in fact, not lonely. Here are some gentle reminders to help with those limiting beliefs. First, our worst fears can come true at any moment in any place whether we brace for them or not. In the words of peaceful Buddha “Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely.” Fear is a low vibrational frequency that keeps us focused on the past or worried about the future, thus not embracing the present moment. Also, bible verse, 2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” And no, we do not need to travel solo in order to have mind expanding experiences. Nonetheless, traveling solo does boost the encounter for a plethora of reasons. So, here are the top 7 Reasons to Travel Solo that may potentially help you over the hump. Take what resonates and leave the rest.

1. Spend Time Alone

Time alone grants us the opportunity to hear our own voice and get to the core of what we desire. Without others there to express their moods, opinions or thoughts we become more aware of our own.

2. Be on our Own Time

The only person that we have to please and prioritize is ourselves. If we want to spend the entire day at the beach, reading, napping, making new friends, eating pizza, watching the sunrise, sleeping in, whichever we are in the mood to do is up to us. There is no one there to attempt to take us out of our vibration and to try to get us to conform to theirs. It is liberating to do exactly what we desire at every moment. And with a new place to explore on the horizon, options are limitless.

3. Meet New People

It is easier to connect with people authentically because of shared goals, ideas and/or interests. When we are alone, connections divinely align and feel more meaningful because we are able to offer undivided attention and because we made the decision that we are actually in the mood to connect/converse with someone. Traveling with others obligate us to constant connection with that person in way. Being alone gives us the choice of connection or solitude moment by moment.

4. Self Discovery

An in-depth benefit of spending time alone is self discovery. The first day or so may be a bit uncomfortable. However, as time is invested, we actively overcome the discomforts and ascertain about who we are. We give credence to our flaws while simultaneously finding hilarity in our uniqueness. These discoveries yield dominance of our own destiny so that no one else has the power to do so.

5. Enhance Decision Making/Problem Solving Skills

After all, we are alone. Besides foreign strangers, we have no one else to rely on but ourselves. This sounds more scary than it actually is. There are so many resources and being alone with the goal of solving a problem or making a decision really does help us to tap into what those resources are. The more we do it, the less we fear it.

6. Notice the Simple Things

The sky may look a little bluer, the sun may shine a little brighter. Being in our very own energy grants us the honor of slowing down to observe and feel more. We may notice how people interact with one another, finding humor and happiness in the most random observations of these various settings.

7. Understand the Real Meaning of Vacation

Vacation is our chance to replenish our souls. We should not come back from vacation feeling restless, irritated or any low vibration emotions. Vacation is liberating! We rested as much as we wanted. We explored as much as we wanted. We partied and danced only when we were in the mood. We stayed at the beach all day when our energy wanted us to do so. We vacationed. Only until we’ve experience this may we fully understand how wonderful it feels. And the only way to have this experience entirely is through traveling solo with no self energy interruptions.

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