In this past year, I had the most amazing opportunity of traveling to Europe. In forty-six long days, I explored the crevices and craters of nine of the world’s finest countries. Memories of wandering Prague’s secret corners, waltzing across France’s flowery promenades, and setting sail to the Greek islands of the Mediterranean will forever be embedded in my mind. I’ll never forget the distant glow of the Parthenon at night as I smashed plates with Grecian women, or the way the misty wind of the Seine river felt against my skin. The icy chill of Jungfrau’s mountain tops will never dissipate, and the silky smooth taste of the Tuscan winery’s finest juice always remains. These moments I spent abroad are some of my finest memories and proudest accomplishments. But my favorite part about my trip to Europe, is the fact that I did it all on my own.
To some, a two month European solo backpacking trip may sound daunting, especially if you’re doing it at a young age as I did. For me, embarking on this journey alone at eighteen years old was one of the most liberating experiences I could have ever obtained. Here’s why:
1. I Worked Hard To Get There
Let me tell you something: plane tickets are not cheap. Sleeping accommodations are not cheap. Food and other expenses are not cheap. When I initially decided that, in my gap year, I wanted to travel to Europe, one of the major concerns I had was: how on earth would I be able to afford it? My parents made it clear they were not paying for it, and to be honest, I didn’t want them to. This trip was for me; it was about gaining, defining, and embracing my independence, and how could my independence have any value if it was paid for by somebody else? So, for six long months all I did was work. My part-time job as a sales associate became a full-time commitment. I was maxing out on forty plus hours a week, folding sweaters and jeans, dressing mannequins and counting drawers. I’d have work days that would start at five in the morning and not end until well into the evening. But none of those circumstances mattered to me, because the bigger picture, the end goal, was so rewarding that all of the hard work I put into financing this trip made it worth it. This trip was my own. I paid for it, I possessed it, and because of this financial responsibility that I gained as a result of it, my personal growth became far more developed than it would have had I been given aid to afford it.
2. The Itinerary Was Entirely Up To Me
If you’re like me and enjoy basking in the sunlight for as long as you please, or love to wander about aimlessly for hours on end seeing what new and exciting things you might discover, then the fact that in traveling alone there’s no one else there to dictate the plans would appeal to you. In this trip, other than the order of the countries my plane tickets and bus fares took me to, there was no set plan. I didn’t make prior reservations for exhibits or museums, and I didn’t plan out when I’d eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyday. Everything for me was very “go with the flow,” and there was no one there to stop me from simply doing as I pleased with my days. I got to explore everything the way I wanted to. Everything about it was mine: from the time I’d wake up in the morning to the cobblestone street I’d choose to explore.
3. I Had The Ability Enjoy Everything Fully
Because my itinerary was up to me, my perspective of the things that I witnessed possessed the ability to flourish independently of outside influence. No one tugged me in a different direction when I wanted to look one way, and no one imposed their complaints onto something that I enjoyed. I was able to think fluently in my own way, without the conflicting voices of other people. When other people have negative attitudes toward something you might enjoy, the voicing of their unasked for opinion might take meaning out of the object at hand. Traveling alone, seeing all of the beautiful things you waited to see for so long, closed the door on people belittling what you hold so high.
4. I Was Open To Meeting New People
A funny thing about traveling alone is that you’re not really doing it alone. On my trip, I hopped on a tour that didn’t include much other than a charter bus and list of hostels to sleep in. Little did I know, before jumping on this tour, though, that everyone else on that tour would be traveling “alone” too. There were twenty of us on the bus, all from different countries, of different ethnicities and social classes, all with differing opinions and beliefs. We were strangers at the beginning of the tour, with almost nothing in common other than the fact that we were all there alone. But we soon became lifelong friends. If it weren’t for the fact that we were all traveling on our own, it’s quite possible that none of us would have been open to meeting new people. We’d already have a group to travel with, why would we need to meet new people? Well, that’s just the beauty of doing it alone I guess. You get to experience people, listen to people’s stories, enjoy people’s company that you otherwise might not have ever even gotten the chance to. Traveling alone opens you up to the world, embracing it with wide arms and smiling faces.
5. Doing It Alone Makes It More Meaningful
Acting as an adult for the first time, in a foreign country where English is not the first language, you can feel a little lost at times. Navigating the metro in Paris is way more difficult to do than the New York City subway, and without someone there to guide you in the right direction, it can be a little scary. But the beauty behind getting lost, is getting found again. In more ways than physical did this trip allow me to access a certain sense of rediscovery. It brought me to a new level of myself, how I handle situations, how I look at certain circumstances. It allowed me to pull out those parts of me that I didn’t know existed, and for that, traveling alone holds a deeper meaning than a girl’s trip or group excursion could. Traveling alone instills this new sense of self that is ultimately so rewarding.
In the end, I know that if the opportunity ever arose again to backpack solo, I would take it in a heartbeat. Knowing what this trip gave to me, I don’t think I would ever want to do it differently. I took the time to travel alone and see the world in a new way, and I came out of this trip eternally grateful for the sense of maturity, independence, discipline, openness, and responsibility it gave to me. Not only is traveling good for shaping the heart and mind, but it’s infinitely beneficial for shaping the soul.