Solo travel is one of the most rewarding experiences. It is liberating to travel without considering anyone else’s opinions or preferences. More importantly, embracing the discomfort of doing everything yourself teaches us much about who we are and our capabilities. Traveling alone means we are forced to have conversations with strangers and figure out the way back to the hotel on our own. Traveling alone is eating in a cafe without company and learning to be comfortable spending time with ourselves. It’s moments of quiet and solitude, and plenty of space to dive into our thoughts. It’s learning who we are without the familiarity of people we know around us.

Aside from self-discovery, solo travel is great for embracing a different culture, slowing down, and intentionally experiencing a destination. It’s an opportunity to learn what we love best about travel. Are you an early bird who likes to hit the busiest spots before the crowds? Do you prefer slower mornings easing into the day? Are you in bed as soon as the sun sets, or do you like exploring the nightlife? Do you prefer dining in casual cafes and bistros, or are you making reservations to experience the trendiest restaurants? Traveling alone allows us to try things without the opinions of others to figure out what we like best so that we can plan future trips more intentionally.

If you’re considering a solo trip for the first time, we’ve put together our top reasons why everyone should travel alone at least once. For those who’ve experienced solo travel, head to our Instagram and share why you love jetsetting alone.

Cultural Immersion & Personal Connection. Dive headfirst into the destination.

Something about traveling alone opens up opportunities to assimilate into local culture. When we’re with people we know, we naturally will stick to socializing with them and create a safe circle. If you want human interaction while traveling alone, you must seek it out. What better way to do that than with locals? Chat up people who work at establishments you frequent, like the patisserie on the corner or the creperie near the Metro. Every interaction is a gift, whether you’re visiting for a few days or a few months. Every person you meet, every story you hear, will enrich the experience and loop you into the local culture. A perk to interacting with locals…they know all the secret gems! Leave yourself open to changing your plans if you receive good recommendations. Locals will know where to eat, unique places to explore, tourist traps to avoid, safety measures to implement, day trips to consider, and so much more. They will direct you to the true heart of any destination. Whether you’re traveling alone or with a friend, this is something to remember whenever you venture somewhere new (or return to a place you love!).

Freedom and flexibility. You do things on your own time at your own pace.

I’ve been self-employed for over a decade now, which comes with the privilege of working anywhere. While my friends built corporate careers at the office with limited PTO, I took calls in different time zones. You could say that travel became a lifestyle, and working remotely while I visited new places wouldn’t have been as easy if I had done it with friends. Instead of packing as much into whatever PTO they had available, I could stay away for as long as I could afford financially and make my schedule. I’d work in the morning, head out for a good chunk of the day, and work more at night. Solo travel allows us this freedom and flexibility. You do things on your own time, at your own pace. It also teaches you what you like best while traveling, so you can communicate those preferences up front when you plan a trip with someone.

I’m not a morning person, so getting up before the sun and fitting a day’s worth of activities before lunch is my worst nightmare. I also don’t love feeling rushed. Sometimes I want to spend more time than planned doing something, and other times I’m in and out faster than anticipated. That flexibility doesn’t come easily when you’re accommodating multiple people. Most of us only have so much time to spend traveling (yes, even us self-employed remote workers), so why not spend that time exactly how you’d prefer?

Self-Discovery.

We learn so much about ourselves when we embrace our own company. I first experienced this while living in Paris. Arriving in a foreign country for the first time with only a basic knowledge of the language was a bold move. It shook the foundation of everything I knew about life and changed my perspective. It was humbling and quite the kick to a young ego, but I’m so grateful for being brought down to earth. It was at the beginning of my career when nothing else mattered more than the next opportunity, which is very unlike the French, let alone Europeans in general. Paris made me realize, in a rather unsettling way, that I wanted more than a career would ever provide. Living in America, your career becomes your life, especially if you dedicate yourself to building it, and after a while, I lost sight of this.

Over a decade later, a road trip up Route 1 in California brought that perspective crashing back down. I might have been on the other side of the world, but just like in Paris, the stunning California coast brought into view everything I was missing and how much my time had been spent on the wrong things. Not to mention, it pushed me so far out of my comfort zone, particularly as someone terrified of bridges. I realized how much I was capable of when I stood up to my fears, whether that’s a fear of driving off a bridge or a fear of taking a financial risk. Little did I know that a few months later, I would start to make major changes and work toward a life I could enjoy and be proud of. Not a life ruled by work and chasing the next deadline, but a life filled with joy, passion, and creativity. I’m not quite there yet, but the path is set and progress has been made.

Solo travel has this unique way of bringing out the best and worst parts of us so that we can become a better version of ourselves. Every trip has its ups and downs. How we carry ourselves through both extremes shows us who we really are. If everything goes wrong, will you give up or find a way through? If something is uncomfortable, do you face it and adjust, or go home? When things work out as planned, are you grateful in the moment and enjoying it to the fullest, or are you already distracted and thinking ahead? After all, according to Paul Newman, “You can only grow when you are alone.” Without outside influences, the only opinion we have to consider is our own. We are free to be who we are, free to feel what we wish, and make choices however we like. Trust yourself, trust what you’re capable of, and embrace your whole self.

Slow down.

Doing things at your speed allows space to take things in a little slower and appreciate the moments individually. Traveling at a slower pace isn’t new for me, but recently, I’ve slowed down even more by prioritizing destinations that allow me to do just that. The PCH was one of those destinations, as was a coastal town in northwest Michigan. Going at a slower pace can be challenging in a world that seems to have the button on fast-forward. We rarely get a moment to savor mornings, read or doze in the afternoon sun, and enjoy an early bedtime after a few glasses of wine. Travel doesn’t have to be about overstuffed itineraries and checklists. It can be about absorbing a destination and giving your mind and body space to rest. Plenty of destinations prioritize a digital detox so you can do just that.

Becoming comfortable in your own company is an unsettling journey. You might have thoughts floating around in your head, or it might feel like an unproductive use of time. Jean-Paul Sartre said, “If you’re lonely when you’re alone, you’re in bad company.” He’s not wrong. Slowing down, sitting with our thoughts, and enjoying time without expectation is one of the most enlightening, yet liberating experiences. It’s enlightening because you become hyper-aware of how much you depend on the company of others and the busyness of the world around you. You become aware of how easy it is to distract yourself by using your phone. When sitting in the cafe for breakfast, challenge yourself to leave your phone in your pocket or bag. Bring a book instead, or watch the people walking by. See how long you can go without needing a distraction. Perhaps at the beginning, it’s only a few moments, but by the end of the trip, you forget to pull your phone out at all. That sense of enlightenment is what leads to liberation. It liberates the impulse to check messages. Letting go of needing to feel connected because somehow the level of connection we have in our day-to-day leads to a sense of worth.

Slowing down doesn’t just mean slowing your actual pace. It means slowing down your mind. Giving it space to breathe so you can welcome in new ideas, new thoughts, and new perspectives. Think about something different for a change…or how about nothing at all? What a concept! You can just walk the streets of whatever destination you’re exploring and soak in what it has to offer. Have a conversation with a vendor at the market about which berries are sweetest today. Squish your toes in the sand as the waves roll softly in, and the sounds of kids laughing and seagulls cawing surround you. There’s no one to distract you for once. It’s just you and your thoughts. While it might initially sound intimidating, don’t be surprised to find yourself craving it when you return to regular life.

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