Travelling is one of the most fulfilling experiences a person can enjoy. No matter if you're visiting a completely foreign continent and coming face to face with a culture you know nothing about, or you're only passing through the nearest border, you will gain much from travelling.

People are used to travelling in groups, with their friends or significant other. However, what do people rarely consider is traveling alone. There is much to be said about travelling solo. The most important is that the entire experience will be yours, and yours only to hold dear. Surely, it’s nice to share experiences with the most important people of your life. But sometimes, just some times, you just have to do things on our own.

No more chit-chatting, let's find out the main benefits of travelling solo, all on your own!

You will grow

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Yes, yes, we know, a cliché – you will grow as a person when you travel. Still, this statement is absolutely, one hundred percent true. That’s kind of the reason why it’s a cliché and why it’s mentioned whenever people talk about travelling and enriching your life.

Above all, it will push you out of your comfort zone. Perhaps it's better to say that it will catapult you right outside of it. This happens whenever you travel, but it's particularly intense when you go solo. You will only be able to rely on yourself, your skills, your planning, and your own ingenuity if anything goes south.

Now, of course, we're not saying that anything wrong will happen, but there is no need to feel nervous. Of course as long as you stay safe, you should push your limits and your comfort zone as much as you can. Overcoming this kind of anxiety will help you immensely. You will have very clear, actual evidence that you can handle strange situations all by yourself.

Your own rhythm, your own way

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One of the most annoying things about travelling with another person is trying to catch their own pace and rhythm. Perhaps you want to spend a bit more time in a museum, while your companion wants to hang out at bars. Maybe you can walk for hours every day, nonstop, while your companion needs to rest every thirty minutes. Whatever the issue might be, travelling alone mitigates this problem.

Things like bathroom breaks, comfort, sleeping arrangements, you won't need to compromise at all when travelling solo. Do you want to visit every single important historical monument, or would you prefer to slowly soak in a couple of the most popular sights at your leisure? You can do as you like when travelling alone. No need to adapt to somebody else needs if you got things under control, if you're the one behind the steering wheel.

You can choose how you travel

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Speaking of steering wheels, you can choose how you want to travel as well. By this we mean both the means of transportation, and the manner of travel. We all have different jobs, come from different backgrounds, and have different levels of income and financial support. This means that not everybody can go first class by plane somewhere. Some of us just need to hop a couple of trains. Or, perhaps you want to couch surf, and be a bit adventurous.

Finding the right person to travel with can be a pain, especially if you want to really test which way of travel suits you best. So, if you prefer traveling by train or bus, you won't have to make any compromises. Do you want to travel alone on your motorcycle? Awesome, now you can do it. Do you want a solo road trip with your car? You got it!

Now, this, of course, means you will also have to pack and plan for yourself. Getting the right gear at MX Store for your motorcycle, getting a nice sleeping bag that you can use for a quick nap in your car, or just having the right supplies when you're on the train.

Deeper experiences, and more friends

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By going solo, you can be a bit selfish, and soak in all these experiences by yourself. You won't have to share them with somebody else, they are all yours, to take in at your own pace. This also means that if you meet some interesting people there, well, you won't have split the attention. You'll notice that as long as you focus on avoiding local taboos people really do enjoy speaking with foreigners and fellow travellers.

You will also seem more approachable if somebody notices you travelling alone (just be careful, this also makes you more vulnerable). Breaking the ice is much easier if you don’t have a companion with you. Furthermore, you may get lonely, which can be good. This can basically force you to seek out some company and companionship.

You will understand yourself better

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How often do we get prolonged periods of time to think and to focus? Well, travelling solo gets you exactly that. You will spend hours on buses, trains, in your car or on your motorcycle. This can give you lots of time to reflect on your experience, to meditate on your life, to think. You will basically be forced, even if you meet lots of people, to learn to enjoy your own company. Travelling alone will leave you alone with your thoughts at times, something that many people sorely need. So even if you face something about yourself that you don’t like, you will get an opportunity to recognize it, and then, later, to work on it.

Conclusion

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Travelling solo sounds scary, but if done properly, it can be a life-changing event. You will grow as a person immensely, getting out of your comfort zone, and out into the real world proper. Getting the opportunity to think and to really, truly know yourself takes time and effort, and solo travel basically gives you the former, and forces upon you the latter. On a lighter note, you will have more control and simply more fun when travelling. You won't have to depend on other people, nor will you have to adapt to their schedules. Sounds like a pretty good deal, right?

Main Photo by Raj Eiamworakul on Unsplash