9 Reasons Why You Should Go on Holiday Alone (…at Least Once)

Richard, played by Leonardo Di Caprio in The Beach, said it best…

“As for travelling alone, fuck it. If that’s the way it has to be, then that’s the way it is.”

Being an INFJ (the rarest personality type), I always found it hard to be around a large group of people. I thought that’s what I wanted but every time I had it, it was jarring.

So no big “lads holiday” for me in my teens or twenties. Instead, I went on holiday with one friend or alone. And looking back, the better holidays were the ones where I went alone.

I’ve had some amazing experiences going on holiday alone. And I believe that it’s something that you should try, at least once in your life — especially if you find the thought a little daunting.

At first, you will feel a little strange and wonder why you aren’t going with an amazing partner or close group of friends. But once you get over that, I believe you’re going to have a lot of fun. So here are 9 reasons why I believe you should go on holiday alone.

1. It’s a real break from your routine

Escape your surroundings without any expectations on your shoulders. You don’t have anyone to entertain or comfort other than yourself. You get to do whatever you want. How many times have you spent hours on a holiday doing things that you don’t want to do? Now, on this trip, you are the pilot.

2. You have time to reflect

I’ve always found that going on holiday alone makes me introspective about my life as I ponder how I’m really feeling, what am I doing right and wrong, and what’s missing in my life? The cliche “I’m going on holiday to clear my head” is true. Something happens.

“But what if I feel lonely when I’m away?” — yeah, you might. Don’t be afraid of that though; it’s a temporary emotion. Jump into it. Your body might be trying to tell you something.

3. It makes you a stronger person

It takes some guts to go on holiday alone. You have to do everything yourself and if you get into any crazy or scary situations, you need to deal with them. Let me tell you, I’ve battled depression and crazy anxiety with some truly horrible episodes of derealisation. So if I can go on holiday by myself and have a great time, so can you. You are stronger than you think.

4. The mundane things become exciting

Getting a coffee, taking a walk, washing your clothes at the laundrette, buying food, chatting to baristas and bar staff — the excitement factor is cranked up on everything. When going on holiday with others, it’s easy to look forward to the activities that you have planned and rush through the gaps in between. But not when you’re alone. You’ll feel more awake and present throughout as you take in your surroundings.

5. You learn a lot about yourself

We get comfy at home. We go to the same job, gym, coffee shop each day and chat with friends and family. It sometimes feels as if we’ve created a character and we can’t deviate away from it too fast. If people keep telling you you’re shy, it can feel like you have to act shy all the time now. It sticks.

But do you know how you act when you walk into a city where nobody knows you? Are you really shy — or are you just a little bored and therefore quiet? Are you flirty with strangers? Do you make friends when you go to events alone? You get to be whoever you want to be. You feel lighter and more playful, not confined to being the person that everyone says you are.

6. Strangers are drawn to you

You can’t help but stand out from the crowd when you go on holiday alone. I spent some time in Amsterdam a few years ago and got chatting to a girl at my hostel (it was a nice hostel!) and within twenty minutes we were having wine at a bar close by — her idea, not mine! You just seem to make friends every time you open your mouth.

It’s as if people can sense you’re feeling good in a different city and are open to experience. Every time I make a new friend or get a smile from an attractive stranger, I always think… FFS! Why does this never happen to me at home?!

7. People come out of the woodwork

You shouldn’t go on holiday just for this but I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t enjoy it… some weird stuff happens when you go on holiday alone. I was on dating apps before I went on my last holiday and the second I started posting pictures, a few girls that didn’t seem interested got in touch. Then, other girls that I’d been on dates with, that didn’t go anywhere, got in touch too, as did old friends that I hadn’t spoken to in a while.

My take on this: it shows you’re living your life. You’re getting out there and doing things. And going on holiday alone makes people think about you and wonder. “Is he there alone?”, “Did he meet someone there?”, “Is he up to something?”, “Has he moved there or about to?”. A little bit of mystery drives the mind into a frenzy. So don’t be surprised if you get a few “Hey!” texts when you treat yourself to a holiday alone.

8. You can do things you’re too scared to do at home

I love my hometown but it feels suffocating at times as I frequently walk past people I know, which is lovely — but at the same time, it feels like I have no privacy. Things play on my mind, I worry that if I go and talk to that girl I like, I’m going to learn that she knows all my friends and secrets etc. it’s silly I know but I just feel a little confined.

When you’re on holiday, you feel free. Go birdwatching, trainspotting, dancing, go to an open mic event, get on dating apps and try and line updates every single day — maybe two a day — do whatever you want!

I remember working on cruise ships and many people signed up purely to explore their sexuality as they didn’t feel comfortable doing so at home. So if you’re feeling confined by your hometown, going on holiday alone is ideal for running some experiments.

9. Coming home is a litmus test

I had a pretty stressful journey on my last holiday. As I hate flying, I took the coach home from Amsterdam; I’m a bit of a sad bastard and enjoy a long coach journey as I find them relaxing, giving me time to listen to some podcasts and music. But some drunk maniac caused havoc on my coach and delayed it massively as he was dragged off and arrested.

When I got home I was so happy to be back; it was as if my bedroom was hugging me. I crashed into bed and the much-missed homey smell of my bed covers was SO good. As much as I l enjoyed my holiday, I realised that I liked where I was in life.

Coming home makes you ask yourself a question: does it feel good to be back or not?

If the answer is yes, great! Or if it doesn’t feel good, don’t ignore that. Face it and try to figure out why.

“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.”

― Seth Godin

Did you enjoy reading this? If you’d like to support me, consider signing up to become a Medium member. It’s $5 a month and you can read as many Medium stories as you like.