AlawiyyahContributed by Count the Love
The idea of travelling alone is thrilling but to act on the idea itself can be frightening. As exhilarating as it is to pursue your wanderlust inclination, some people think that solo travel is quite a dangerous pursuit for the following reasons:
- Being alone means you have nobody to depend on except for yourself.
- Being in a foreign country means you’re highly likely to get lost in an unfamiliar setting.
- With all the hate and war that is taking place around the globe, is the world even a safe place for you to be alone?
You may think I am mental for saying this but I do believe that the world is a safe place. It is only as dangerous as you make it out to be. Besides, when you survive a precarious situation, imagine the story you’re able to live and tell!
So here’s my attempt to convince you why solo travel is good for the soul:
1. You get our of your comfort zone
Let me start this off by saying the cliché: nothing great happens in your comfort zone!
‘Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.’
Don’t let the fear of being alone restrict you from venturing out of your comfort zone. Sure, it’s more comforting to have company to experience life with, to hold your hand every step of the way and to assure you that they’ve got your back forever no matter how scary the world is – but some things in life, you have to experience them alone.
After all, it’s You Against The World, no?
I am a firm believer of doing the things that scare you the most, as those are the things that will be the most worthwhile simply because you learn to face your fears and the gratification you get from striking off your bucket list is such a rewarding feeling.
2. Feeling free
Once you’ve combated the fear of being alone, you will realise the world has got nothing on you!
You don’t have to worry about how awkward you’d look doing things by yourself. You don’t have to worry about the need to have a company. You will avoid disappointments from being turned down by friends because your schedules don’t coincide. You will learn to understand and be more comfortable with the feeling of being alone (it’s not a bad thing at all, I promise you).
When you’re overseas, you get to take charge of your own itinerary and roam around places that you would like to visit. Even as you get lost while navigating an unknown city surrounded by unfamiliar faces, you will feel free – from the scolding you hypothetically would be getting from your friends/family for getting all the wrong directions hehe.
Basically, the world is yours and you have all the freedom to do whatever the f*ck you want!😉
My first solo trip to Australia in 2013.
Believe me, even though I travel alone for all my trips, I am still fearful when I go to a non-English speaking country for the first time. Thoughts like ‘What if I can’t communicate with the locals? What if I get lost and can’t read their signage?’ would pervade. It’s perfectly normal to be nervous about uncertainty. You just need to have good faith – in humanity and in yourself that you will know how to take care of yourself and you will be just fine!
Also read: Read This If You Are Scared To Travel Alone
3. Broadens one’s horizons
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”
While you immerse yourself in the sweet feeling of liberation, you will be pleased that you took your first step to get out of your comfort zone as you meet new people, try new food, experience a new culture, witness a new sight. Travelling, in general,gives you experiences and perspectives you won’t be able to get in classrooms.
I had my first solo travel experience three years ago when I went to Australia for a month. Of course, my family thought I was being a rebellious 20-year-old child and my friends simply thought I was crazy. Despite everyone’s disapproval, I went ahead anyway.
If you ask me, I dare say that trip was the best decision I made for that year – other than not pursuing University after ‘A’ Levels but let’s leave that to another story – I gained so many invaluable experiences and I’ll never get sick of telling my stories. I got to witness places I only managed to Google on the net before, I made new friends from different parts of the world, I ate Kangaroo meat for the first time, I almost got into trouble with the law but got away with it and I missed my flight back home and would have been stuck at the airport for another 24 hours if my dear friends did not rescue me. The list can go on but what I’m trying to say is, these memories will always be so precious and I would have never experienced them until I decided to get out of my comfort zone.
My German, Swedish & American friends in Bali.
4. Self-discovery
At the end of it all, you don’t just gain experiences to add on to your list of ‘must tell’ stories. Travelling alone also helps you discover parts of yourself that you were never aware of because being out of your comfort zone pushes you to do things that you never think you would do. In some sense, a ‘new you’ is born and it makes you feel like alive again.
If you must know, I was an extremely timid girl growing up. Never did I in a million years think I’d enjoy travelling alone nor would I write about it. Life is truly full of surprises. I’m glad I listened to the inner daredevil in me otherwise I wouldn’t have turned out to be the adventurous travel junkie that I am now.
To those who have had the intention to travel solo for a while now but are hesitant to do so for many reasons, I hope I’ve managed to inspire you to go through with your plans! There’s nothing to lose, only so much to gain!
Also read: 10 Awkward Struggles Every Solo Traveller Has To Deal With
On that note, travelling alone is not for everyone and it’s okay to realise you enjoy it better with some company. Everyone is different in our own ways and will always have different preferences; none is better than the other. The importance of it all is you never say ‘no’ to life!
P.S. When was the last time you did something for the first time? 🙂
