“The man who goes alone can start today, but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready.” – Henry David Thoreau

Since the time I have started travelling solo, exploring the places at my own comfort, I have come across bundle of people. Few coming as guiding force appreciating the sheer zest a solo traveler have and for some this also comes in as a bit of surprise: How can one enjoy travelling ‘Alone’. Well I would say although you’re traveling alone, you don’t have to worry about being or feeling lonely. Yes some of us do mis-judge and think travelling solo can be a lonely experience but honestly it is quite the opposite. Your solo travel is what attracts people to you and you will only end up getting appreciated and motivated.

People who know me can relate to this, how often I have told them to go alone and explore the land of your dreams at your own pace. It’s important. Let me share what I have observed so far, and why I think everyone should travel solo atleast once in lifetime:

Discover Inner-self: Solo Traveling is probably the best way to make peace with your inner self. It’s an opportunity to explore the higher realm of your personality, just as you explore the world. Solo travel gives you the much needed time which you can spend and enjoy in your own company, away from all the stress and hustle bustle of daily life. It’s a chance where you break-free and can work out on thoughts, dreams, strengths, limitations and most importantly to analyse what you want. You never know, your best friend might just be hidden within you. You might just end up loving yourself.

New people, Lifetime Friends: Travelling with a group of friends or family is always fun but it also gets on as a limitation as we tend to overlook engaging ourselves with others. While you ride solo on the road, you will most likely be engaging yourselves with the people, locals around because there’s no one holding you back. You get a chance to create some of the most precious bonds that you will cherish, your whole lifetime. Maybe you’ll find great friends; you’ll probably meet a travelling soul or even fall in place with a city – who knows…

Opportunity to get out of your comfort zone: Being a solo traveler and specially a girl, I have always been questioned about the possible ‘risk’ I take while I travel. Well, travelling alone may seem scary or sounds creepy, but it can be fun and exciting if you travel with open mind. A lot many times we let fear or comfort stop us from taking life’s greatest risks and end up missing out on truly rewarding experiences. But honestly when you put yourself in a new environment, cut off from nearly everything you know, your priorities and attitudes towards the life changes. You change. You will discover a ‘newer version’ of yourself, and probably something which you have never imagined or visualised before.

Turns you into a storyteller: While you are solo traveling, there are higher chances of you turning into a storyteller, sharing every tit and bit of the place which you have just come back exploring. And probably you will share the stories which left a deep impact on you, bringing out a more refined and positive person out of you. While you are enjoying the realm of nature at your own luxury, you get to observe and examine the place deeply than you have ever imagined.

Money Management: Traveling alone will make you learn to save, splurge only on what’s necessary and enjoy a minimalistic lifestyle. It will teach you that you can even enjoy travelling with the minimum you spend. A whole new dimension to living within your limited means – almost a challenge!

Something to tell your grandchildren: There’s nothing like embarking on a courageous journey alone. Even if you never travel again by yourself you’ll always look back and be appreciative about yourself, for the true wanderlust which you experienced, when you decided to step out of your comfort zone, into a world which till then only remained on wish list.

So, if you want to travel and especially solo travel, stop making excuses. Life will always get in the way if you let it come!!!

As Mark Twain say “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

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