Why I love traveling alone
Traveling alone is the best!
A sentence I never thought I would say. Especially 3 years ago. Even if you paid me to travel alone, I wouldn’t have wanted to. In fact, I was paid to, in 2019 right before the pandemic, Pinterest sent me on a business trip to Chicago. I’d been on a couple of business trips prior to this, but never alone. And I remember specifically talking to my therapist about every detail. The conversation went something like:
“What if I need to eat?”
“You go out and eat.”
“Alone??”
“Yes.”
My anxiety took the conversation as far as me questioning her what to do if I get kidnapped by the Uber driver when I get off the plane or robbed in the dangerous streets of Chicago. I forget her responses, except that she kept calmly saying, “You got this.”
The truth is I took many steps to get to the place I am today of loving solo travel. I was unabashedly one of those people who judged the idea of solo traveling. Why would anyone voluntarily do that? What fun is it if you’re alone?
But like many things in life, my perspective changed when my life changed. And God began to give me the confidence and courage I needed to take that leap of faith. Once I did, I saw the light. Now I am currently traveling Europe alone for 7 weeks and loving it.
Traveling alone is a beautiful gift and incredible opportunity that I treasure today. Here’s why:
You can do whatever you want. Traveling requires a lot of decision making. So when you are traveling with others, there is a lot of time spent debating what to do, when to eat and where to go. But alone I get to do what I want, wake up when I want and explore what I want. No one is waiting on me and I am not waiting on them. I can have no plans one day and a detailed plan by hour the next. I am free.
2. You have the room to yourself. No sharing a bed, bathroom or shower. Stuff can be everywhere or completely organized. Mine is usually a mix of both. I don’t have to scoot over, step over or wear ear plugs. The place is all mine. And it’s liberating and freeing. I can watch tv or not. Lights on or off, bedtime whenever. It’s peaceful, spacious and comfortable!
3. You can take your time. This one combines the first two points. If you can do anything you want — and you don’t have to worry about someone waiting on you— you can truly take your time doing everything. Eating. Drinking. Sitting. Napping. Sleeping in. Staying out. Window shopping. Going to the bathroom lol You are on your own time schedule.
4. You can change your mind. When I am traveling with someone else, a change of plans affects them too. However, when I’m alone, I can switch directions on a dime. Like when I arrived in Málaga a couple days ago, I had a hard time falling asleep (a combination of jet lag and excitement). But I had booked a morning tour of the beautiful and historic Alcazaba at 10am. I woke up to my alarm at 9am and knew this wasn’t going to happen. So I wrote the Airbnb experience host, asked to reschedule for another day this week, she graciously booked me for another day, and I slumped back into my cozy boutique hotel bed to fall back asleep.
5. You tune into your senses. Your senses are freed up when you’re not looking at or listening to someone else. I look up to the sky more. I hear more sounds. I follow smells of fresh churros or stop to touch a delicate flower. Traveling alone really allows you to tap into your senses creating this calm and peaceful sensation while enjoying the sights, sounds, tastes and feels of a new city.
6. You make friends around the world. You get to meet other people traveling from all over the world. Hear their perspective on life. Learn new phrases, laugh at the way they say things differently and connect over shared experiences. You also get to meet locals. Practice the language and immerse yourself in the culture. I met an amazing local woman my age (she was my manicurist!) and she invited me over to her place for board games and wine that night. I enjoyed a home-cooked Spanish meal, wine and fun. They wanted to practice their English, I wanted to practice my Spanish — so the whole night was in Spanglish. Plus, they had two cute cats. Definitely an experience I will remember!
Of course, sometimes I see something that reminds me of a loved one or I wish they were here to share the experience with me. But when a wave of sadness hits, I FaceTime or text them, and continue to ride the wave of the experience in front of me. Soaking up every momento precioso.
