To be or not to be a solo traveller?

The question of whether solo travel is for you cannot be determined by anyone else but yourself. So how do you go about making that decision?

A radical change was needed in my life – that’s the reason I chose to go on a long solo travel trip to the other side of the world. I had little to no experience of these cultures, didn’t speak the languages and didn’t really know what I was doing. I’d never solo travelled before outside of the country, so this was a big decision to make. Travelling alone is becoming increasingly popular so it really worth it?

The pros always come first when researching such topics but I’m starting with the cons as this is what I experienced early in my decision making. The first challenge I had before I even went on my trip was to block out the noise from other people’s opinions; people like to scaremonger and predict the worst. If you’re not a level-headed person this can discourage you completely before you’ve even made a choice. It can feel like you’re disappointing others or betraying them in a way, as such you need to consider whether you’re doing this for yourself or other’s perception of you. For me I knew that I it was time to put myself at the centre of my decisions and do what I wanted.

Secondly, the biggest and most obvious con of solo travel is the solo part – you are alone. There were times when I would go days without speaking to anyone (especially in countries that speak little to no English). I could be surrounded in a city with millions of people yet still feel solitary. If you’re someone who needs to constantly be in a social setting, interacting with people then this will be hard. I must say though, that it is possible to meet other people while travelling – there are many apps nowadays that help with this - but they may not always be your type of people and eventually everyone leaves at some point so you’re left alone again. If you’re someone like me (an extroverted introvert), then the loneliness won’t be too bad – I enjoy being around others but also value my own time to regain my energy and be in my own thoughts.

My last potential con that people tend to overlook is the constant decision making. Yes, okay you may have made your  mind up that you want to solo travel but once you arrive at your destination you will have to be frequently making decisions – you can’t just turn your brain off and follow someone else – because guess what? It’s just you. Choices on things like, what activity to do, how long to stay in an area, what mode of transportation to take, how much money to spend on this or that, what to eat etc. For people who are independent in their everyday life this will be a minor issue, but if you’re someone who’s always asking a friend or turns to  ChatGPT for small things it may become mentally draining. On the other hand, the art of decision making gives you so much flexibility – you don’t have anyone telling you exactly where you need to be and when. It helped me to understand myself a bit better; my likes, dislikes and intention behind my choices.

Now for the pros:

1) Freedom and personal growth – travelling alone allows complete freedom, you can do what you want to do when you want to do it without worrying about others. This time alone also builds resilience; you’re navigating a new environment and culture, learning new things everyday and expanding your global knowledge.

2) You meet so many amazing people – you interact with people from all over the globe and can build beautiful bonds and friendships that never may have happened if you didn’t go. Being alone also forces you to become a more sociable person.

3) You get to see the world – this was my most motivating factor to solo travel. I don’t want to grow old and the world to pass me by without seeing what else it out there. If I chose to wait for others to join me first, I could be waiting a very long time. And with the way that the world is constantly evolving and changing, who knows if a place I travelled to would even be there in the future. I didn’t want to miss out on these opportunities available to me while I’m still young, healthy and able.

Overall, solo travel can be an unforgettable experience that brings freedom, new connections and a new view of the world. Albeit it comes with the challenges of loneliness and responsibility that you need to be willing to take. Ultimately the decision depends on the individual and if they have the guts to get out of their comfort  zone and try something new. Even with the tough times, I’ll always be an advocate for solo travel as it’s shaped me into the person I am today.