7 lessons I learned travelling solo
Imagine, you’ve just stepped off the plane in a foreign country ready to embark on your solo adventure
And then a wave of nerves and anxiety hit you. After going on two solo adventures I’ve realised how much I’ve learnt about myself and how much of a good thing solo travel is for the soul. Read on for 7 lessons I learnt travelling solo.
1. You can make friends anywhere, even when you least expect it.
From airports to your hostel to coffee shops, you’ll meet like minded people and become friends instantly. You may be asking someone for directions, you may drop a bag and they might pick it up for you or someone might buy you a drink out one night, either way…you’ll be able to make friends anywhere your travels take you.
FYI – Hostels are a great way to meet people if you are travelling solo for the first time!
2. You learn not to stress so much – bring on the zen.
I used to stress over the littlest detail before I spent some time by myself travelling. You will learn to see your panic coming and you’ll be able to make sure it doesn’t come any closer, you’ll be able to reassure yourself that everything is actually okay and it will work out.
Travelling alone pushes your limits until you persevere and learn the courage to just deal with the situation and move on. From cancelled flights in Argentina to being severely late for a shark dive in Hawaii, I’ve learned to deal with stress and it’s helped me tons! You may not realise until you’re on the flight home that you’ve become so confident and have these new set of skills but you survived the big bad world all by yourself, bumps along the way and all.
3. Some experiences are meant to be shared
My solo travels to Canada, Argentina and Antarctica really opened my eyes, gave me confidence and most of all made me realise that some adventures are meant to be shared with others. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t regret travelling solo, it’s an amazing experience but there were some points during those trips that I wished I could have shared with my friends from home or my family, not afterwards through photos but during the moment.
4. There are some really nice people out there
Sometimes things don’t go to plan, for you or someone else. This is when you realise how kind people can actually be. When you look horribly lost in a new town, don’t speak the language and someone stops to help you and offer guidance, it makes you just want to hug the stranger in the middle of the street, even if it takes a ton of hand signals and 15 minutes of painful translation to tell them you just need a bathroom.
5. You hate being alone, yet you love it.
Walking through the departure gates is an exciting time, waving goodbye to your friends and family but once you step out of the airport at your destination a wave of nervousness and doubt hits you, you feel like you want to jump back on the plane home and wonder why you even decided to do this. This is how a lot of people feel at the beginning of their adventure but don’t forget, it’s only the beginning! Soon enough you’ll be settled at your accommodation, walking around exploring the town and getting a feel of your solo adventure! You have no set schedule, no rules (except laws of course!), no one to tell you where to go first and the whole world at your feet. The solitude is relaxing, eye-opening and super exciting!
6. You gain confidence, you go girl! (or boy)
While you’re out exploring the world or praising yourself for getting the right bus in Argentina, you will learn very quickly that you need to depend on yourself for everything. It may not happen right away but it will happen when you need it most. Whether it’s walking up to a local in Buenos Aires to ask for directions to your hostel or successfully buying a bus ticket with no experience in speaking Spanish.
Knowing you can look after yourself in a foreign country gives you an amazing amount of confidence.
7. You become independent
Travelling solo means you have to rely on yourself for all of your decisions, this means that after you’ve been on the road for a little bit you become a master at making decisions. When I moved to Canada and worked the ski season and a stayed for a summer, I became really independent and felt that I really grew up compared to the pre-solo travel Bel. From having to deal with injuries to my budget to juggling a couple jobs at a time while still living the awesome ski town life. The experience of travelling solo has really made me become a better person, inside and out.
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