The perks of travelling alone

04/18/2016

Blazing your own trail requires a lot of planning, but it might just be worth it, for a number of reasons.

There are likely plenty of people in your life you'd be happy to go on vacation with - your parents, children, spouses, boyfriend/girlfriend, friends, coworkers and so on. Heading off with the individuals who matter the most to you can bring you closer, leave you with a lot of great memories and ensure you have a great time.

That said, because we live in such a fast-paced world and everyone's got so much going on in their personal lives, it's sometimes hard to coordinate everyone's schedules. It's more than that - people have different lodging preferences, budgets, accommodations that need to be met, places and excursions they want to cross off their bucket lists and so on. Trying to get everyone on the same page in order to even just book the travel can be a feat in and of itself.

So, rather than tying yourself down to a vacation you're not that interested in for the sake of pleasing others, you might want to consider heading off on your own. Blazing your own trail requires a lot of planning - you've got to book everything yourself, make sure you pack right, ensure you'll be safe alone and other considerations - but it might just be worth it, for a number of reasons.

No pressure

You don't have to go to that boring museum that's featured in all the must-see guides. You also don't have to get up really early to get a grip on the day or stay out really late to experience all the place has to offer. You simply get to go by your own schedule, with none of the pressures to do anything you don't want to do.

Be more flexible

Along these same lines, if you're alone, you can fly by the seat of your pants and do what you want with your time. This might mean changing your travel plans as you go - after all, what's stopping you? If you meet some new friends during your trip and are interested in catching the next bus out of town with them to see something new, you can. Doing this with others can be cumbersome if you're not on the same page, but going this way alone can help you have a unique vacation that wouldn't have been possible under any other circumstances.

Learn more about yourself

Travelling alone is one of the best ways you can learn about yourself. You are your own company, meaning that you're able to easily determine what you like, what you don't like, what matters to you, what you're afraid of, what you're willing to overcome and where you draw lines. You can certainly learn these types of things at other points in your life and even when vacationing with friends and family, but it's often easier to determine these factors about what makes you.

Self-dependence

In this same vein, you have to be confident enough to depend on yourself to get to where you need and want to be. You don't have a friend or family member to turn to if you're lost, if you arrive at the airport late or if you're in a foreign country without knowing the language or customs. As such, travelling alone can help boost your confidence and teach you, first hand, things like phrases in a foreign tongue, survival skills - if you're having an adventure vacation - and other helpful tips.

No one to judge your decisions
If you want to forego that diet you were on when you were at home by eating an extra taco from the corner food truck or you'd really like an extra glass of wine at dinner, you're allowed and, if you're travelling alone, there's no one to judge you. The same goes if you want to have a movie day in your hotel bed - hotel living is also a vacation in and of itself. You can also go back to the same restaurant, beach, store or other excursion hotspot day after day if that's what you want to do and makes you happy while travelling.

Make new friends

While many people say that being by yourself is good company, at some point, you're probably going to want some human interaction. If you're with friends and family, that's easy, you can just talk to them. However, if you're flying solo, you can branch out and speak to strangers. This is a great way to make new friends and connections to people from all walks of life that can continue to benefit you throughout your whole life. Plus, this gives you a reason to keep returning to your favourite vacation spot.

Skip the drama

Sometimes travelling with someone else means a touch of drama. This might come in the form of bickering with a spouse, having a child throw a temper tantrum, needing to escort an impaired friend home from a nightclub and so on. Vacationing alone means taking charge of your experience, so you can skip this and only deal with whatever situations you put yourself in.