Why I Travel Alone Once a Year

And why everyone should try it out at least once.

With the internet full of ads of romantic getaways and couple spas, you could be forgiven for believing that when it comes to traveling, two is the enchanted number. With the help of this article, let me try to persuade you to think otherwise. Through my journey and experience, I'll try to open your minds to a possibility of endless freedom and a chance to discover yourself.

It was the year 2015.

“Hey, did you and John book your flight tickets to New York ?” I asked Peter.

“No. John has some family problems and I am also having second thoughts” replied Peter.

I realized that this trip is not going to happen. Like so many other trips, this will be a failure.

It was my lifelong dream to watch Roger Federer. This was my chance. I had already booked my flights to New York and semi-final tickets to the US Open. I called my parents and a couple of friends for opinions. All of them suggested canceling the tickets. It was a unanimous decision.

But there was one person who had not voted yet. The one person for whom I cared the most. The one person who had been with me through thick and thin. The person who will be impacted the most by canceling the trip — ME.

I took a decision contradicting the norm. I decided to travel alone.

It would be my first time traveling alone. I was all sorts of anxious. I had second thoughts so many times. But I also had a strange determination. I did not want others to hold me back from my dreams.

Persevering with my decision, I went ahead and booked the hotel as well. I was all ready to take the plunge. It was a big thing for me. Being an introvert character, I had never dreamt of doing something like this.

Fast forward to 2020, that was the best decision I ever took. The New York solo trip was an amazing (read: Out of the World) experience. Here are two pictures I took during the trip. 2nd one is of the tennis legend — Roger Federer.

On the flight back from New York, I promised myself to travel solo once every year. And I have kept the promise. In the last 6 years, I made 5 solo trips (I could not travel in 2020, due to COVID19)

Here are the things I’ve learned from my 5 solo travel experiences

Discover Yourself

Traveling alone lets you find yourself. You will have enough time to be with yourself, think about your life. You can talk to yourself, listen to yourself.

My trip to Maui Island, Hawai last year was a memorable one for so many reasons. I was going through some turmoil in my professional life as an engineer. I was sitting there alone, facing the beach, having a sip of scotch, and pondering about it. I wanted to try out something I love, something I can do for myself.

I started writing personal diaries to journal my experience. I realized my love for writing. It inspired me to write blogs on Quora and other social media channels. It was one of the most fulfilling experiences I've ever had. I came to know so much about myself. I came to know about my love for writing. Because of that enlightening experience, I am an avid writer on Medium today.

Sometimes being with others, your decision and thoughts are impacted by them. Being alone for a couple of days prohibits others from clouding your judgments. You find what is best or yourself. You find YOU.

Personal Growth

One of the greatest rewards of traveling solo is Personal Growth. You have to learn how to find your way out of a problem. If you are stuck in an unknown place, or you lost your way, you will have to find your way out of the situation. If you fall sick, you will have to get better on your own. You need to know whom to trust during these travel expeditions. Your big takeaway after the trip would be the immense self-confidence you gather during the adventure. That is a guarantee.

Meet New People

Being an introvert person, this was a completely new experience for me. I realized that I was shy talking to folks in a bigger group. I am more comfortable talking to folks one to one. Having nobody to judge me on what I talk enabled me to open up with new people. I met a lot of folks during my solo travel expedition. I made a lot of friends along the way.

Scary is OK

It is completely OK to be scared of the unknown. Our brain does not process the unknown well. That is the reason we are scared to do something new. But in the end, we usually come out victorious. The experience at the end of a solo trip is always enthralling. We are more confident, and the next time, it is not an unknown anymore. Our brain is now aware of the experience we are going to get, so it just keeps getting easier and easier.

As a kid, we spent a lot of time playing with ourselves and talking to ourselves. It reduces as we grow older because we accept the judgments and opinions of society. We confuse being alone with being lonely. According to me, it is very important to spend quality time alone. It is as important as traveling with a companion (or group of friends). For me, it opened up new surroundings that I had never experienced before. I realized my passion for writing.

I rue not doing this before.

I'll end with a quote I saw online:

Traveling alone will be the scariest, most liberating, life changing experience of your life. Try it at least once!

Share your experience of traveling alone in the comments below.