At some point in your life, you’ll be determined to fully reap the benefits of modern technology and feel compelled to fly off (dramatically I might add) on a jet plane to far off lands of new people, cultures, food, clothing, languages and experiences. So what if I can’t find a travel buddy? I’m independent and self-reliant! Well now that I’ve given it a go, here are some of the perks and pitfalls of flying solo.
Perk: You Don’t Need to Compromise Your Itinerary
Being an art history major, there’s nothing I love more than stopping to stare at every single gothic cathedral throughout the world. Most of my friends would NOT agree. When I traveled by myself I didn’t need to cut out something that I wanted to see to accommodate the tastes of my friends and family.
Pitfall: Eating By Yourself
There’s nothing wrong with eating by yourself. Ever. At all. It’s not sad. It’s not lonely. You’re fine. But sometimes you may feel that way and that’s okay, too. FaceTime a friend, work on a project (like this article which was written in a café alone in the Madrid airport) or even watch some Netflix if you want to.
Perk: Pick Your Own Menu
Picky eater? Restrictive diet? Just really really want to try that bizarre restaurant listed as an “eating adventure” from TripAdvisor? Fear no more! Like not having to compromise your travel itinerary, it’s so much easier to pick a place to eat if the only person to please is yourself, even if it means eating alone.
Pitfall: Getting Lost Can Be a Real Panic
Standing outside the Louvre alone got you feeling like you should be blasting an old Taylor Swift song about finding your place in the world? Yeah I feel ya. Getting lost when you’re traveling alone can be terrifying because your mind goes from “Oh what a lovely day! Look at that architecture!” and “Wow! Street art!” to “Welp. This is how I get body snatched,” real quick.
Some things to help you out: map out your entire day before you leave. Not only will this help you find your way back home, it’ll also make you more time efficient during your tourist activities. Remember that your mental health is worth more than the cost of a taxi. If you really get lost, you can just show a taxi/Uber driver the name of where you need to go on a map or on your phone.
Perk: Budgeting
Everyone has different levels of comfort when it comes to group budgeting. There are times when you might say, “Hey, woah there friends I’m not really feeling like spending 200 euro on a plane ticket,” when everyone else is in, or vice versa. You know your socio-economic situation better than anyone and as the independent, self-reliant person that you are, you know what you can and can’t spend. When you travel by yourself, you are all you need to worry about financially.
Perk: Making International Friends
Traveling is a really neat way to meet new people from all around the world. In one 30 minute train ride I met an Australian foreign exchange student and a student from the UK. We exchanged some serious tips about where to go and what to do all over Europe – it really helped out in the long run. If you’re really worried about doing touristy things by yourself, try to stay in community hostels (or a similar lodging situation). Chances are, there’s someone traveling by themselves there, too, and they’ll want to tag along with you on your day trip.
Overall, traveling (in any way you can) is an enriching experience and allows you to open your mind to new ways of life. If you’re anything like me, you strongly believe in the value of being an international citizen and want to learn as much as you can about the world. If traveling by yourself is the only way that you can/want to do that, be safe, do your research and enjoy the experience.