A long standing traveler debate is whether to travel alone versus with people. Having traveled extensively on my own, I am here to speak for that side of the debate. There’s a thousand and one clichés how traveling alone will see you grow as a person. While, I am here to see they actually are true. You don’t need to join the US army to be all you can be, when you are on your own in a foreign country as my old saying was: ingenuity can be the mother of invention. If you are having a problem that affects you eating or finding shelter trust me – you will be surprised how creative you can be to solve it. And to think these points only touch on personal growth, not just the fact that traveling with other people can be annoying.
You’re the boss –
When you travel alone you set the itinerary and the pace. There is no bargaining with someone else in terms of what you are going to do. Specifically you get to control how you spend your own money. An experience I remember when a group I had started traveling with got large was dealing with everyone issues with food. Choosing a restaurant, or preferably a kiosk to eat from, was impossible as everyone’s budget and food restrictions come into play. When you travel on your own this is not an issue.
You actually won’t be alone anyway –
Perhaps you will end up one day having to go see Versailles on your own and you will secretly wish that you had someone to share the experience with, but… More times than not, you will meet people in hostels, often other people traveling on their own, and have the chance to take in the sights with new, interesting people you have met. This also goes for spending time at night. People often will just start talking to each other in traveler hot spots. The ice breaker is right there and already available – you’re both traveling.
Doing things on your own Builds your Confidence –
Being put in a situation where you have to act and there is no one there to help you can build your confidence in remarkable ways. If there is no one else to take the lead, the role is thrust to you and new levels of assertiveness that perhaps you never knew existed will come out of the wood work. You will make decisions on the fly and be responsible for the outcomes. In a few words, it is almost impossible that you will not grow and come out of the experience with out more confidence and a greater sense of self assurance. This last fact on its own is enough for you to consider traveling on your own.
What do you think?