How travelling solo develops the real you?
Do you know what you want from life? Are you doubting your choices sometimes? Do you know who the real you is? These are all difficult questions to answer when we keep ourselves in lives we know so well. Routine and stability have many advantages, but often a comfortable life doesn’t provide what we need to really understand who we are.
Travelling solo is an experience that challenges you in ways you could never have imagined. It is also a very rewarding experience that stays with you forever. Here, we’re going to focus on just 5 of the things you stand to gain from a solo adventure and why travelling solo develops the real you.
1. Discover Your Real Interests
We all think we know where our true interests lie. Usually, this is something you excel at in school or something other people know you for. Perhaps you’re the funny one or the bright one, the kind one or the sporty one. But do we really know our true interests if that’s something we’ve simply always done or been?
Travelling solo allows you to re-discover yourself along with your genuine interests and hobbies. You may well be the sporty one at home but perhaps once you are all alone in the world in a new and exciting place, you discover a passion for marine life you didn’t know you had. Or perhaps your friends and family know you as the funny one, but actually, once you are in solitude you discover a deep desire to write and express yourself in more serious ways.
Discovering your real interests is a huge benefit to solo adventure. This helps you develop so many aspects of the real you. You may find yourself connecting to a whole other group of friends who share your genuine passion. Or you may choose a completely different career path from the one you had planned because actually there’s something else more important that you discover you want to spend your life doing.
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2. Let Yourself Be Bored
For most of us, we live in a very busy, digital age where anything we want can be ordered at the click of a button. Our calendars are booked up weeks, if not months, in advance. In this busy digital world, we are constantly on the go. When was the last time you actually felt bored?
Travelling solo doesn’t always run smoothly. You may have delayed flight connections, long-haul overland travel, or time spent in isolation in new places where you don’t know anyone yet. Being bored doesn’t always sound like fun. But actually, it is the only way to tap into so many creative parts of yourself. Many of which have probably been buried under the business of modern life for far too long.
Letting yourself be a little bored is another great advantage to taking a solo adventure. It could allow you to develop skills you didn’t know you had or hear silent messages from your body that you didn’t know were there. Boredom is key to creative development and once you make friends with boredom, you may actually find you desire it, along with a little peace, in your day-to-day life.
3. Travelling Solo Teaches You To Depend On Yourself
If you are lucky enough to be constantly surrounded by friends and family, colleagues, and lovers, you probably never fully depend on yourself. Without even realizing it, most of us grow so used to depending on others for a variety of needs. You might only rely on your dad as a taxi when you really haven’t got the money for a regular one, or your nan to sew that button on your favorite dress because no-one learns to sow anymore, right? But even just the odd time that you allow someone else to help you, is a form of dependence.
Travelling solo means being alone in the world. Of course, all the people you love are more than likely to always be at the other end of the phone or laptop for reassurance or heartfelt advice. But physically, you are alone. You can’t ask someone else to help you run that errand or fill in that form, because they aren’t with you at this time.
Depending on yourself is one of the biggest benefits of travelling solo. When we have to depend on ourselves, we grow in places we never thought possible. We rise up to so many challenges we might not have thought we could face and we thrive in our new environment. Not only that, but depending on yourself makes you so unbelievably grateful for the people in your life that do support you. It gives you a new level of appreciation for the support network you have.
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PIN FOR LATER 🙂
4. Removes Distractions
In this hectic and busy modern world, distractions are everywhere. If you feel sad about a test result, a friend is likely to make you smile again with some yummy food and a movie. If you missed out on a place in the show you auditioned for, your instructor will probably reassure you that you did your best and suggest some other auditions you can try instead.
Travelling solo removes all distractions that are typically placed in front of you to help you feel better about life’s disappointments or unfairness. For perhaps the first time in your life, you are alone with the color of your own thoughts. And, there is no-one else to make you feel better about them. But don’t worry, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Removing distractions is yet another huge advantage of travelling solo. When you’re alone with your true emotions and feelings and avoid the need to distract yourself from them, you can really understand what they are there to teach you and then grow from that experience. Removing distractions is a healthy exercise to help you connect with your true self.
5. Travelling Solo Helps You Discover What You Are Really Made Of
When we travel alone, we are forced to stand up for ourselves. We are encouraged to be braver than normal, and inspired to try new things. Discovering that actually you might be able to do a bungee jump or you can haggle at that local market will create feelings of empowerment from within. Often we are so much stronger than what we give ourselves credit for and surer of ourselves than what we allow to be seen in our day-to-day routines.
Travelling solo will compel you to see yourself in a new light and become the person you always thought you could be. You’ll enjoy feelings of pride and courage, mixed with fear and uncertainty. But ultimately, you’ll discover that you hold all of the power to be the person you really want to be.
Discovering what you are truly made of is probably the greatest thing you stand to gain from a solo adventure. Seeing and feeling your true capabilities is a liberating experience that some of us may never tap into if we don’t push ourselves outside of our comfort zone. We have to break the comfortable mold we’re in order to discover who we really are.
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To conclude, these are just 5 of the many things you stand to gain from travelling solo. It’s a natural desire to want to discover the real you. Without a doubt, solo adventure is one of the best places to start.
If you are unsure who the real you is or what the real you wants from life, it’s about time you considered travelling solo. Take the time to get to know yourself and all your colors. Discover the things you love and hate, the way you want to experience life, and most importantly, the real you.
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Guest contributor:
Karen Rose is a Freelance Travel Writer at Get Up, Get Out There & Get Lost where they write what they love in a way that engages others, whilst representing tourism positively and focusing on eco-travel experiences. They aim to inspire people to explore their homes by sharing their passion for England, the UK & Europe, encourage natural-based travel with a focus on animal welfare, vegan food, and outdoor adventures, and ignite responsible travel in the next generation by motivating families to enjoy the simple life together.
Connect with Karen:
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