When telling coworkers, friends, and family about upcoming trips, one of the first questions to be asked is “who are you going with?”. Alongside “is it safe” and “how long will you be there for”, companionship is almost always assumed when visiting a new destination. Groups of 2,3, or countless more are becoming the norm. But how is that beneficial for personal growth and exploration? Solo travel is the only way to go. Traveling on your own schedule, with only your tastes accounted for, going alone brings a freedom so sweet it has to be experienced to be believed.
In certain cases, having a travel partner is necessary – hiking, road trips, camping, and mountaineering, to name a few. However, this revolves around general security and not dying alone in the wilderness. It makes sense to have a companion out in the forest. City breaks, less so. Generally, most people traveling together will have their differences, leading to at least one complication or disagreement where someone sacrifices their desires for either group harmony or for the sole benefit of the other. Interested in avoiding said conflict? Don’t go with anyone.
The irony about traveling solo is even though you may be by yourself, you’re never truly alone. This forces you outside of your comfort zone, to talk to strangers, hostel mates, bartenders, and everyone in between. Ergo, you make new friends quickly; perhaps with some you develop closer relationships or travel more together. The quickest way to eviscerate boredom is by conversing with everyone around. This may lead to a lengthy chat, free food and drink, an invitation to their home for dinner, dance lessons, and more. Leave all inhibitions at the door, for they can unlock new experiences never previously thought possible. If you happen to get sick of the same group, there’s no obligation to continue. Get on a bus or train to a new locale and continue the cycle of meeting new people. Traveling solo is a win-win scenario and although it could seem scary initially, over time, this fear will evaporate and be replaced with confidence and the knowledge you can handle whatever the open road brings.
You can end up befriending a motorbike driver in Vietnam and celebrating his daughter’s birthday with his entire family. You can crash/be invited to joining a private family party in the deserts of southern Jordan, and hitchhike the way back to the capital with secret police and a friendly trucker. You can experience the thrill of opening up the throttle on a motorbike on a fresh road, dodging cattle and other wandering livestock. The opportunities for immersion are endless. As an individual, people are more accommodating, and I can say with certainty that some of these experiences would not have taken place had I been with a group.
Naturally, this style of travel can be difficult. It’s not perfect; in fact, potential issues can arise. The main culprit is loneliness – having to eat alone, not having that secondary safety blanket of a constant companion, figuring out transit and directions by yourself, and lacking someone to bounce stories and jokes off of all the time. Giving up security for freedom is the sacrifice that solo travelers make time and time again. For those inclined to taking pictures of themselves, continually asking strangers can be anxiety-provoking, tiring, stressful, or a mix of all three. It’s not easy, being reliant on yourself 100% of the time and having the strength to push through unknown situations, without the guise and assistance of another. Willing yourself out of bed, pushing on to new locales is not always simple. There’s no one to motivate you or drag you kicking and screaming to whatever comes next. Granted, linking up with other travelers is always on option, but everyone parts their separate ways eventually. There will always be a time where you will be on your own, not knowing the language, confused, tired, and hungry, needing to fend off whatever lies at the destination. Solo travel tests your patience and sanity. But you’re stronger as a result of continuing on.
When you travel alone, something will go wrong. I can speak on numerous counts of food poisoning, being hassled by a street gang, getting scammed, potentially dangerous modes of transit, near-death experiences, getting lost too many places to count, sickness, and more. You’ll require a day of replenishing fluids and rest from ingesting a durian smoothie gone bad. You’ll wipe out in traffic turning into your first intersection on a motorbike. You may even nearly lose your passport to the Amazon, by bringing it tubing. Not everything is rosy. Some moments you’ll wish for a partner/group and other times. the feeling of being alone is too great and you’ll want to give up. The wild roller coaster known as independent travel shows the highest of the highs, but can crash to unimaginable lows. And for that reason, we strap in and brave the twists, turns, loops, and drops. For experiences and freedom, for owning our path, and for paying the consequences, we keep on.
“We travel not for trafficking alone;
By hotter winds our fiery hearts are fanned:
For lust of knowing what should not be known
We take the Golden Road to Samarkand” – James Elroy Flecker
These lines to me personify the essence of independent travel. Though planes and hostels have taken the place of horses and caravanserai, voyaging by oneself in search of knowledge, experiences, and personal development truly encapsulates the adventures and struggles undertaken when alone. It’s not perfect. It’s not painless. And it’s certainly not always comfortable. But traveling solo is a bug. Once hooked, it’s almost impossible to plan with a group. So run with the bug, don’t focus on the potential of others joining you. Go alone. Grow as a person, get beat down, and rise stronger than ever before. It’s not easy. But it’s the most worthwhile adventure you can undertake.
Dispatches by Alec 