Solo Travel. Is it Worth It?

Solo travel for us college students has always been this glamorized topic in which someone goes backpacking across Europe and becomes a changed person. But, is solo travel really as beneficial as everyone says it is? Does traveling alone really help you grow as an individual? How do the benefits differ between solo and group travel? Is solo travel a safety concern? These were all questions we were wondering about. This article will hopefully answer some of these burning questions and encourage you to push yourself out of your comfort zone.

So, what are the benefits of solo travel? For one, solo travel is scary; and yes, that’s a benefit. Relying on yourself for your itinerary, your transportation and really your every move is daunting. Having the support of a family member, a friend, or at least a travel companion can be a nice safety net. Traveling on your own forces you out of your comfort zone because it makes you rely on your own intuition. When confusion or doubt arises while traveling, going with your gut is your only option. Confronting this fear head-on will help you grow as an individual.

Solo travel also encourages you to meet new people, people you likely wouldn’t have met had you been traveling with others. When you’re with a group you’re less likely to stray away and engage with strangers. Let’s say you’re at a coffee shop sipping on your chai by yourself. You are more likely to engage in conversation with a stranger because you don’t have someone with you. While solo travel can be lonely at times, meeting new people can bring new memories and experiences you likely wouldn’t have had if you were with a group. Plus, you never know who you might meet.

Additionally, solo traveling is peaceful. Instead of family bonding or friends chatting, silence can be calming. For introverts, solo traveling makes a lot of sense. Yet, can challenge introverts to be more sociable. For extroverts, this can act as a challenge not being around constant chatter. However, solo travel may help extroverted individuals become more independent.

Another benefit that might be important to you is that you can always be the leader. When you’re by yourself, you can go by your own agenda. You can spend an hour staring at the same painting at a museum because this is your time to waste. Time is in your hands. You can truly be selfish and do what you want to do, see what you want to see and go wherever you want to go. The sky’s the limit.

Safety is always important while traveling. And while traveling alone can sometimes make you more susceptible to hustlers, you also blend in more with your surroundings. You should feel comfort in knowing that hustlers or pickpockets will target a loud group of Americans over one quiet individual. As long as you can pretend you know what you’re doing, likely nobody will question it.

Lastly, and arguably most important, solo travel can help you better understand yourself. Through the constant stimulation, that life brings us day-to-day, having a break is necessary. Travel gives us the opportunity to slow down and just be. All the usual distractions can go and just embrace the silence. You can be in tune with your desires while traveling and get to hear that internal monologue of yours.

Hopefully, some of these reasons convinced you that the solo traveling experience can be extremely beneficial for personal growth, independence, meeting new people and reaching out of your comfort zone.

If you decide to take a trip by yourself, send your photos to @theedgemag so we can see how solo travel benefited you.