Empowering… inspiring… exhilarating… worth it.
The things you learn when you travel alone can be life-changing.
Traveling by yourself may sound a bit — or a lot — scary, especially if you’ve never tried it before. But the truth is, seeing the world solo is an amazing experience that every woman should have.
I should know; even though I grew up in a globe-trotting family, I still remember how incredible it felt to take that first journey all by myself. When you travel solo, you learn to rely on your own intelligence and intuition very quickly. And guess what — you’re more than up to it!
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*Iguazu Falls, Argentina. A butterfly landed on my finger, I snapped the pic, and my very first Fuddhist blog post was born! My first solo travel inspired me to pursue a lot more in life than another solo-trip.
Read on to find out the things you learn when you travel alone for the first time.
1. You Will Rely on Yourself – Cause No One Else is Volunteering
Need to catch that bus? You’ve got to figure out the schedule, which may be written in another language (or not written down at all). Get ready to break free from your comfort zone and speak to other humans, most of the time in a language you don’t know. Sick of carrying that heavy suitcase? Too bad, cause there’s no one else to schlep it around for you. (Note to self: next time don’t pack so much!) Realistically you will probably continue to overpack, so here’s another tip, don’t be afraid to ask for help! (another excellent life lesson)
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*12:30am and here I am in the back of a stranger’s red pick up truck. Don’t be alarmed, ‘songthaews’ are how the locals get around Thailand. The experience was thrilling, slightly terrifying, and pretty hilarious. My driver doesn’t do google maps, so there was that.
2. You Can Go Out All Night, or Stay in & Enjoy that Hotel Room to the Fullest
Want to hit the clubs? Like, all of them? Go for it! Or maybe you feel like staying in your cozy hotel room and checking out local tv shows. Fancy a two-hour tub with your book? Soak up amiga! When you’re traveling solo, there’s no pressure either way. I enjoy this most of all. No more feeling guilty that I didn’t accompany my friend on that rager in Australia because I rather sit in the tub reading The Bhagavad Gita – ya feel me?
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3. You Can Eat What, When & Where You Want AND NO ONE CAN STOP YOU
Craving gelato for breakfast? When in Rome… Don’t feel like sharing that mango lassi? Perfect, there’s no one there to steal a sip! Feel like taking 24 pictures of that killer baguette and fermented butter, snap away my fellow foodie! That massive, melty raclette cheese sandwich you just wolfed down wasn’t enough? Go ahead, eat another. No one is watching.
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4. You Might Hit All the Touristy Spots – or Skip Them & Do Your Own Weird Stuff
When you travel with others, it’s all too easy to miss out on attractions you really want to see if everyone else isn’t down. (Or more likely, get roped into things you don’t want to do.)
But when you travel alone, you can spend hours in the Lawnmower Museum if that’s your thing (yes, that actually exists), or pass in favor of belting out a few tunes in a karaoke bar (although I never pass up a karaoke opp). No one will judge the culture you choose to partake in – or to skip. For example, in Hamburg, I decided to spend one hour in an old tunnel 80 feet beneath the Elbe river and followed that up by taking 100 pictures of Brick Expressionist architecture and ended my day staring at old love locks on a bridge. It’s just what Hamburg was calling me to do. Dolo baby!
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5. Your Confidence will Soar!
When you travel alone, you learn to trust yourself.
As you learn that you can rely on yourself, you’ll realize how much you’re truly capable of, and your confidence will grow exponentially. Solo travel is the perfect way to learn about yourself, about the world, and to have an incredible time while doing it. Prepare yourself for some serious self-reflection, as you will find yourself tuning in a lot more – namaste all day. Along with rapid self- growth and new soaring confidence, your own level of happiness will begin to rise.
Whether you’ve always dreamed of throwing it all to the wind and hitting the road Jack Kerouac-style (minus most of the drug-induced navel-gazing, of course) or you’re considering indulging in a treat yo’ self spa vacay, I’m here to tell you to go for it!
So pack your bags, book those tickets, and get ready to have a life-changing experience.
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