While most of my friends were in tropical paradise during spring break, I decided to embark on my very first solo trip to Iceland. Yes, you read that right. I left the freezing cold of New York City to go to an even colder place, and I did it alone. The results were illuminating, as this journey taught me more about independence and autonomy than I could have ever imagined.
Whether you go on a weekend road trip to a nearby B&B, or travel the world for months, spending time with yourself in a new environment and experiencing adventures by yourself and for yourself is both important and refreshing. You’ll learn about yourself and the world around you at the same time, and get some much needed space from your current reality in order to reflect on what’s really important. Your journey won’t always be all sunshine and rainbows, but it’s worth it, and more than anything, it’s yours.
You’ll get lonely and think your trip was a mistake.
Loneliness is a part of life, so you shouldn’t pretend like it won’t be present during your travels. But remember, you went on this journey alone for a reason, which is why it’s important to step back and think about why you’re feeling lonely or bored. Reflection is a huge part of spending time with yourself and growing comfortable in your own skin, so embrace this time of loneliness and try to sort some things out from a distance.
You are your biggest source of entertainment AND misery.
The best of times, and the worst of times, during your trip will all be orchestrated by you. This means that if you want to book an incredible excursion and make memories of a lifetime, it’s up to you to find the willpower to do it, and enjoy it. Likewise, if you become bored and decide to stay cooped up in your hostel room, that’s also on you. You’re not going to have someone around to keep you entertained at all times, so you have to be your own best friend and have fun because YOU want to.
There are others just like you!
On my trip to the tiny country of Iceland I met two other TNS students staying at the same hostel as me, which is crazy! No matter how many questions people throw at you when you tell them about your plans to travel solo, remember that other people do the exact same thing, and they are looking to talk to you about this experience. Introduce yourself to people and you’ll probably be (pleasantly) surprised with how much you have in common, because after all, solo travelers are in this together.
The best moments need to be for you and no one else.
This is so important, because the entire reason you chose to spend time alone was so you could cherish the experiences and emotions that are unique to your life journey. Live in the moment and allow yourself to experience all the beautiful nuances that travel will bring, and allow yourself to be filled with joy that is for you and you alone. So yes, while I recommend booking group tours and reaching out to other travelers, I also suggest you set some time aside to do incredible things on your own, because you should always be your top priority.
You can be anyone you want to be.
When traveling alone you realize that you can be as anonymous as you want to be, and it’s so refreshing. On countless occasions during my trip, I found that I could introduce myself to strangers as the most perfect and polished version of myself possible, ignoring all the problems that my friends at school were aware of and present myself with a blank slate. I could’ve been anyone I wanted to be, but I chose to be me. Embrace the anonymity when it serves you and also allow people to get to know the independent, ambitious, and adventurous parts of you that brought you on this journey in the first place.
[Feature Image by Isabela Espadas Barros Leal]