Go solo because YOLO
Greeting Globetrotters and welcome to Gregorian 2018. What a time in the world! Men have big red buttons, women have hashtags, others don’t have public bathrooms they can use and thousands are stranded around the world. It feels more important than ever to bring the meaningful and positive aspects of travel to the forefront if we do plan to travel.
These days I usually travel in the company of my best bud and travel companion Jess, which is oodles of fun, but I can comfortably say that I would be a very different person had I not stepped out on my own two feet in the beginning. This episode, we have a look at how travelling solo can help you grow as a person.
You make your own decisions
It sounds kind of simple. But for many, a solo trip can be the first time we have decided what time to do something, where to go next, whether to catch the bus or train, how much we should pay for something, whether we should trust this person and many other decisions.
This means we’re accountable
Ok some people will blame the dodgy cab driver if something goes wrong, the bus that was late, or the desk staff if we turn up somewhere we didn’t book ahead and there is no space left to stay, but essentially, it’s on us. The good part is that if we’ve had a less-than-pleasant experience, we’ll learn from it and not want to repeat it.
The time!!!!
Whether we’ve been dragged around by our families, had a million assignments to do, been chained to a desk by our bosses, or caught up by friends or partners who know how to book us into a schedule, travelling alone may be the first time as an adult that we’ve had full (or kinda full) control over our time, and f#%k is that liberating! Once you get that taste of freedom, you won’t be keen to hand it back in a hurry.
There’s no time for small talk
Solo travellers tend to be hella ambitious, so chances are, there’s a lot we’d like to get done on a trip if time allows. This means that when we meet people, we know our time is precious so we tend to get straight down to the meaning of life, how to save the environment, world hunger and how fix the world’s political crises. In other words, you often find out really quickly what makes people tick, and whether or not you feel compatible as friends, travel buddies, co-inhibitors or even life partners. End result? You end up with some of the closest friends you can have who’ll be with you for life (whether you like it or not).
Not to downplay any risks of travelling, your GTG is choosing here to emphasise the positive outcomes and contemplate why the risk is worth it. After all, anything could happen, right on our own home turf. At the end of the day, it’s never hard to find someone to share a bite or a beverage with if you’re looking for company.
For another take on this subject, check out a page your GTG found after having written this one.
https://www.atravelthing.com/why-solo-travel-grows-you-as-a-person/
Do you normally travel alone or have experience of doing so? Your GTG is always ready for your feedback and input. Get in touch via the contact form below. Remember, you’ll never walk alone! Until next week.
