15 Things That Traveling Solo Can Teach You

If you’ve ever thought about traveling solo but have been too afraid to do so, you’re not alone. The thought of being by yourself in a foreign country might sound petrifying, but it can actually teach you a lot about the world, other people, and even yourself. If you’re still feeling hesitant about hopping on a plane and flying to another country on your own, here are some things that traveling solo can teach you.

1. Independence

When you’re traveling solo, you’re the boss. You can do what you want and go where you want without worrying about accommodating anyone else’s needs. When you take a trip by yourself, you get to make your own schedule, which can teach you how to be independent. Traveling alone also gives you the freedom to go out and do whatever it is that makes you feel happy.

2. Responsibility

Another thing that traveling solo can teach you is how to be responsible. Since you won’t have a friend, relative, or significant other there to remind you about what you should and shouldn’t do, you’ll end up learning on your own. To be fair, that is the one way to make someone truly more responsible!

3. To live in the moment

You’ve already taken a big leap by traveling to a completely different country by yourself, so you might as well learn to live in the moment while you’re abroad. There are so many things to do, places to go, and people to meet. The beauty of traveling solo is that if you do happen to make a fool of yourself, at least nobody you know personality would have seen it. As for the people who did see, it’s very likely that you’ll never run into them again anytime soon!

4. Learning a new culture

A new country means a new culture, and you’ll have a lot to learn when you travel abroad by yourself. If you’re someone who enjoys learning about new things and exploring different cultures, you’ll love traveling solo. You won’t have to worry about the distraction or opinions of a travel buddy. Go ahead and soak in all the new information!

5. That experience means more than materialistic things

You’ll also learn that collecting memories is far more valuable than collecting things. Hardcore believers of YOLO can definitely agree to that! Material things can break, go bad, or end up lost. Experiences will last a lifetime. If there’s one thing that you can learn from traveling solo, it’s definitely that experience trumps materialistic items. The more you go out and see the world on your own, the more you’re going to crave it.

6. That the world isn’t too bad

When you’re in a place that you don’t know too well, you’re left to put your trust in people you don’t know. That may sound intimidating for you, but you might also be surprised to learn that not everybody in the world is evil and untrustworthy. You might be used to keeping your guard all the way up if you’ve only ever known a place where everybody is always conning someone. However, other areas in the world aren’t like that, and traveling solo can show you that. It still is wise to use your discretion.

7. How to make friends

Who says you can’t find amazing friends in a different country? When you’re traveling solo, you’ll likely have to talk to someone you don’t know to ask for directions or the best place to eat. That person might end up talking to you more about their culture, and before you know it, you guys are great friends. Learning how to talk to other people in a different country will make it a lot easier for you to talk to new people back home as well.

8. How to enjoy being alone

Sometimes, we just need to be alone and enjoy our own company. What better way to truly be alone than to travel to an entirely different country by yourself? You’ll get to really enjoy having some serious alone time when you travel solo. No more worrying about family drama, relationship issues, or friendship drama when you’re by yourself. Traveling solo is a great way to disconnect from all the negative aspects of your life and just connect with yourself.

9. How to get out of your comfort zone

Visiting another country on your own is a huge step out of your comfort zone, especially if you’re used to always being around people you know. It’s always great to get out of your comfort zone because you never know what opportunities you might be missing out on if you stick to what you’re comfortable with. Traveling solo may be uncomfortable at first, but you’ll be so proud of yourself for taking that big step.

10. To be adventurous

There’s a lot that you need to discover during your limited stay in a different country. Traveling solo allows you to be more adventurous and see how beautiful the world really is. When you’re in a foreign place, you’re going to want to try a lot of different things from the food to the fashion. Who knew learning about a different culture was so exciting?

11. How to be vulnerable

There’s nothing wrong with having to be vulnerable from time to time. We’re human, so it’s completely normal. Traveling solo will teach you how to be vulnerable because there will be a lot that you won’t know or understand, and you’ll need someone else to assist you. It’s also great practice for when you want to learn to be vulnerable with people you do know.

12. How to be happy

Sometimes, we don’t know what truly makes us happy until we spend some time by ourselves in an unfamiliar place. You’ll be so surprised about the amount of things you can learn about yourself when you’re traveling solo, including what makes you smile. When you’re used to familiarity, you won’t find out what else is out there that will bring you joy.

13. How to trust your intuition

When you’re in a situation where you don’t know anybody or the area around you, you’re left to rely on your own instincts to help you out. We hope you don’t end up in a scary predicament while you’re traveling solo, but if you do, you’re going to have to trust yourself to make the right decisions to get out of it. You might realize that you’re a lot smarter than you give yourself credit for.

14. What you really want

You might not know what you really want if you haven’t seen all your options yet. Traveling solo can allow you to see different places without distraction and possibly find the place where you want to live or vacation more often. When you think you already know what you want, try going somewhere you’ve never been to before on your own. You might just change your mind!

15. Patience

You’re going to be surrounded by a completely different culture, and there might even be some language barriers if you travel to a foreign country by yourself. It might be overwhelming at first, but you’ll eventually learn to become more patient if you do it enough. Traveling solo might also teach you to be more patient with yourself. You might learn to slow down and live in the moment more often when you’re in a foreign place.