Five Things You’ll Discover While Traveling Alone

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Hi everyone! Today I wanted to share my experiences on traveling alone, as I am currently on my first adventure by myself in Seattle, WA! If you are thinking about traveling solo, I definitely encourage you to do so, you’ll learn a lot about yourself overall. It’s worth it!

YOU ARE YOUR OWN BEST ASSET

This is an important one. If you’re like me, you lean on people more than you realize in your every day life. This isn’t a bad thing, it just means that you are used to talking through and doing things with other people. However, when you are out there on your own, trying to figure out what way your gate is in the airport, or your trying to find out if you are walking in the right direction on the city streets, nobody is going to have your back but you!

So first thing you need to do when you have to deal with any type of situation-take a deep breath, tell yourself that you are okay, you will figure this out. Don’t panic, the calmer you are able to deal with things, the more proficient and clear headed you will be.

YOUR MIND FEELS LESS CLUTTERED

I found it much easier to sort through my thoughts when I just had to worry about myself for a bit. Perhaps you love to make your family and friends smile as much as I do! It makes you feel good inside. But sometimes we get so caught up in making our loved ones happy, that we forget about what we want for ourselves! Maybe even what we NEED for ourselves.

Being on an adventure alone is a journey. And you get to lead the journey, just like you should be the leading role in your own life!

There is something refreshing about being on my own time schedule for the day. I can wake up and grab breakfast, work out, get ready in leisure, and head out at whatever time I feel ready for my adventure! Nobody is telling you to hurry up or slow down for them. Wanna take a swim? Do it. Wanna go for another coffee, even though you’ve already had three today? Do it.

YOU DON’T NORMALLY GIVE YOURSELF ENOUGH CREDIT

Everyone has situations in life where they feel not in control. Of course, it’s part of the ups and downs we all face. You are just doing the best you can with what life throws at you, and that’s more than anyone can ask of you!

Normally I would push myself to accomplish a whole list of tasks in a given day. When making goals of things to get done, I find it easier to hold myself accountable this way. But it’s easy to overload yourself, and then feel guilty when you miss one or two things. Remember that you are a capable person, and take your alone time traveling as a time to make small goals for the day, ones you know you’ll get done with plenty of time to relax after.

YOU HAVE A HIGHER APPRECIATION OF WHAT OTHERS DO FOR YOU

Traveling alone in the airport for the first time, I realized how difficult it is to wheel two suitcases and have on a heavy backpack at the same time. Normally while traveling with my mom, each of us had one suitcase to maneuver. I never thought twice about it! Multiple times while walking in the city, I felt like I was trying to carry ten thing awkwardly at the same time. It’s always nice to have a second person to hold something for a quick second while you get organized. Especially when you’re as clumsy as me!

There are lots of other things that I took for granted, like how nice it is to come back after a day out and talk to someone face to face about things. Of course, technology is great and we can call, facetime, and text as much as we please, but cherish your time with your loved ones while you have it.

IT FEELS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU ORIGINALLY THOUGHT

If you aren’t used to living on your own, traveling alone can be intimidating. I enjoy my alone time in my every day life, but I have never lived completely alone. At first, like I mentioned just above, it was weird to come back after my day out and just be alone for the rest of the night. However, I do think this definitely was good for me to experience.

If you feel similarly, don’t worry, you’ll get used to it! I did. A few days in, I was more excited for my evenings because I knew I’d have time to sit down and write without interruptions. Use your time to call family and friends, and simply relax. Play your music loud, take a hot shower without a time limit, watch tv in bed and read that book you never have time to read.

Also, something that isn’t exactly what you imagined doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Maybe your plans aren’t going exactly as you thought. Trust yourself and know that you will make it a good experience regardless.

Obviously you don’t know how you will like something until you do it! So I definitely encourage you to at least travel alone once to get a feel for it. Maybe just a weekend trip somewhere you’ve always wanted to go! No matter what, you won’t regret it because it will be a learning experience.

HOW TO BE YOUR OWN BEST FRIEND

I said earlier that you are your best asset, essentially that you are capable of taking care of yourself. But being your best friend is more about being kind to yourself, emotionally and physically. I’m lucky enough to have a best friend that I can be honest with, and we simply are there for each other when we need it most. But you can do this for yourself too!

Realize when you’re tired and just need some time to relax. Make yourself as comfortable as you possibly can, spoil yourself with the little things! Get that magazine you’ve been wanting to read, grab yourself a bottle of wine. Give yourself time to breath. Think through things that you feel are important, and trust that you will make a good decision for yourself.

Take time to reassure yourself that you are enough, and everything is, or will be okay. When you are alone you can refocus your needs in life, see the big picture. Do yourself a favor and be honest. You’ll be a lot happier and thank yourself later!

I hope you enjoyed this post! If you haven’t traveled alone, where is your dream destination? Perhaps you travel alone frequently, what was your first travel journey alone like? Comment below, I’d love to have you share your experiences and thoughts! Join me in future posts for more travel stories, tips, and inspirations that I can’t wait to share!