What Solo Traveling Teaches You
Life lessons from a solo traveler
I am a solo traveler and yes I am proud of it. Not that I hate being around people during my travel but solo travelling has taught me very important life lessons which wouldn't be the case had I been around people.These lessons have enriched my life and added value to who I am today.
I was inspired to write this article since I feel that there is a taboo around travelling alone especially for women in society. People still feel that traveling solo is something very harmful or dangerous or selfish and I often hear ’n’ number of questions whenever I decide to travel alone. This article focuses on important life lessons that solo travelling has taught me.
Planning is everything
Most people have a fuss around managing finances and time. I often hear people say, “Oh! I am really bad at time management” or “I am drawn towards spending money ”. Travelling solo helps you to manage your finances and time better. From getting a visa to booking air-tickets, hotels and planning your schedule to see the important places around the city at the important times, you get to understand the importance of planning. I was not so good at managing my schedules, but travelling has taught me the art of managing money and time well.
Your soul experiences joy
Every human being has a soul which needs a richer experiences to enjoy life. At least my soul is one among them. No matter how much you miss your spouse or family during your travel, just by looking at the beautiful green nature, the blue waters and the high range mountains you feel a kind of sweetness in your soul. It seems as if your soul wants to drink in this entire experience. It seems as if you want a time machine which can stop this moment of time from passing by. You want this beautiful experience of yours to last forever in your brain. It makes you feel that you lived all this while to experience these beautiful things. So don’t feel bad if you don’t have your close ones, your soul is your best friend for your entire life. Cherish these beautiful memories and let your soul enjoy them.
Humanity exists everywhere
To relate to this, let me tell you a story. I went to after party reception at Edinburgh, UK. While coming back after the reception at 7 pm, I was surprised to see that the streets of UK were entirely dark with no human trace at all. I was scared and somehow hurried to my hotel. When I reached the hotel, I put my keys into the lock at the entrance door to open it. In most parts of UK, every user is given a unique PIN and a unique key. The user needs to open the hotel door and the room door using this key and PIN. I was new to this system and was trying hard to open the hotel door but couldn't. I tried for around 20 mins but somehow did not succeed in opening the door. I looked around and found an old man seated in his car parked nearby. I went to him and explained my trouble. He was kind enough to help me in opening the door. I cannot forget this experience and it taught me that no matter wherever you go, most people will be kind. I have experienced this at many places around the world. Humanity and kindness are inherent to human beings and these experiences have proven them.
A simple smile can win hearts
In most countries that I have traveled around the world, I have seen people smile at me. It’s a sign of friendly greeting in most countries. Some people also greet and say “Good Morning”. Some people also ask “How is your day?”. These are small gestures but one feels great when an unknown person asks about you or greets you while leaving to office. We are so bogged down by our own pressures of life, that we fail to smile at most times. Smiling though is a small gesture, it can win you friends at unknown places and make your life simpler. We often underestimate this small thing and it becomes important to remind ourselves to smile everyday. It releases endorphins which are vital to reduce stress and happy living.
You learn from your own mistakes
When you are travelling solo, I guess you make more mistakes than usual. You may fail to book a ticket to a museum or miss an important announcement at the airport. You learn from it and these mistakes become recorded into our subconscious brain. I am not saying that you must commit a mistake but my perception is that you will learn some very important lessons from your travel mistakes. The next time you travel, you subconsciously remember the old mistakes and try not to repeat them. It will guide you to a better travelling experience in future.
Boosts your confidence
You can observe most people who travel solo. One thing you can note about them from their face, is the level of confidence. Travelling solo requires a certain amount of confidence in yourself. That you would be able to handle your crazy self, be able to cook food if you cannot find good food and also manage your money to pay all the unexpected expenses that may arise. It forces you to become independent and trust yourself. Because until you start loving and trusting yourself, you will never be able to enjoy your solo travel.
You get lost but ultimately you find your way
If you hear stories of most people who travel solo, I am sure you will find 90% of the people get lost during travel. They would have missed a metro train or chosen a wrong bus or booked a wrong cab. The stories are endless but at the end they find their way back. A young man on the road would have told the right address or a women in the train would have directed to catch the right train at the next stop. I have also got lost at major cities. But instead of panicking, I asked help from people nearby. An old man helped me find a right train at Sydney and reach my destination. It teaches you an important life lesson that no matter where you are lost now in life, you need to find a way out. You need to seek help and enjoy the journey rather than worrying about the destination.
You are no longer the person before travel
After I return back from my travel, there are 2 things that happen to me. Firstly, I feel that I have learned something and my mind has experienced something worthwhile to last in my memories forever. I feel I have become a little wiser and humble. These experiences have made my life richer than what it was before travel. Second, I feel immensely astonishing how God would have created such a beautiful world. My head bows to Him in gratitude and I pray to Him to protect this precious ecosystem for the generations to come.
“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions “— Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
