Solo Traveling

The idea of solo traveling makes one feel very independent and intensely liberated. This gives you loads of time to yourself and the opportunity to put your thoughts together, hence you’ll have lots to share with others when you return home. I would encourage people, most especially the ones from the younger generation, to venture out into the real world for at least once in their lifetime.

You don’t have to follow an itinerary; you make your own travel plans and follow it as it goes. This makes the idea of solo traveling fun! Once you’ve done it, you probably wouldn’t hesitate to do it all over again.

I love the fact of being in a different country; one that speaks a completely different language makes an even bigger challenge for the traveler. From this, you gain social skills by learning to be flexible around people in awkward situations. Trust me, it helps.

Meeting people of different nationalities, cultures and religions (but always be cautious, listen to your hunches and be responsible) is another big highlight into solo traveling. You will understand why people do things differently and learn to appreciate things that are outside your own comfort zone, things that might seem strange to you but perfectly normal to others. It is also interesting how I’ve shared about my country to countless people and how they’ve shared information about their own countries to me, probably the best information around you can get! This certainly does give you the opportunity to see how the world connects.

Traveling is learning and more so at times you choose to do it alone. This helps you make changes for yourself, broadens your mind and changes your perspective and outlook in life. My advice to our youth is not to spend second thoughts on your plans, just go with the flow. Take luck into your own hands and go for it!

Depending on the length of your stay, you might want to take up a foreign language class, write a diary about your experiences or do volunteer work. Get inspired, you can never go wrong.

Learn to let go, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Solo traveling is perfectly normal. Don’t judge a book by its cover until you’ve done it and therefore, be able to pass your own judgment. Enjoy the journey and always think positive about it!

“Travel is not really about leaving our homes, but leaving our habits.” –Pico Iyer. These are three of my favourite websites that might be of help to you – www.solotravel.org,  www.journeywoman.com and www.lonelyplanet.com