Traveling solo can be exhilarating and liberating, but also frustrating and incredibly lonely.

About 8 months ago I packed my bag, jumped on a plane and leapt out into South East Asia. The world was my oyster. I remember thinking to myself, “I am young, strong, confident and the world is just waiting for me to leave my mark on it!” Fast forward twenty-four hours and I was 100% lost and had no idea what I had been thinking, doing this on my own and all. Things did improve over time, but every now and then I still have my low points. Below is a list of the ups and downs that I have experienced when I’ve been traveling solo and I think most people traveling alone will come across them:

Ups:

Independence

Everyone is different, and often when traveling in groups there is a conflict between where to go, according to the different personalities which make up the group. Traveling alone affords you to do every single thing you desire to do, on your own terms and at your own pace.

Meeting people

Being on your own makes it more of a necessity to start talking to random strangers at the bar, or the person sitting on the bus next to you. Traveling alone allows you to make the type of friendships that you hardly ever make in a group.

Gets you out of your comfort zone

Fear of the unknown is something that most people experience, being on your own challenges this. The unknown becomes an adventure, by confronting this fear you grow in confidence and belief in yourself.

You will become a mighty charades player

For the first few months in a new country, you most likely won’t be able to speak the language. This forces you to adapt to using actions and noises to communicate with the people surrounding you, and looking like an absolute idiot most of time. When you eventually get home to visit your family, you WILL win charades. Every.Single.Time. Ask my family, they know all too well!

You learn about yourself

You will have to become comfortable in your own company. You will learn things about yourself that you never imagined, and it will benefit you greatly later on in life. 

Downs:

Safety

Traveling solo can be dangerous. You should always be streetwise and keep a bit of common sense floating around in your head.

Loneliness

There are times when you will feel incredibly lonely. You will be surrounded by strangers, who are all speaking a foreign language, and you will think to yourself, “Why am I here?”

Expensive

Some people say that it is cheaper to travel on your own; this has been the opposite of my experience. A lot of places charge per room and this obviously becomes more expensive when traveling one up. 

Lack of support

When you have a down day or get into a spot of trouble, there is no one close by to reach out to and ask for help.

No shared experiences

You will often find yourself wishing that your best friend or partner were with you to share the incredible experiences that you are having. There is no amount of story telling that can truly capture your adventures.

Solo travel can be exhilarating and liberating, but also frustrating and incredibly lonely. It is certainly not something that everyone wants to do; however, I do think it is something that everyone should attempt at least once in their lives. Doing so challenges and changes you in such a profound way, so much so that you will never be the same person who set out at the beginning.

Laura Paterson

Laura's favorite country and where she calls home is Zimbabwe, Southern Africa. Her travel style is laid back and she often ends up on the greatest adventures by mistake. She also can't travel without laughter.