Whether you’re a frequent traveler or not, whether you’ve only been to airports with your parents or if you’ve never crossed any borders, if you haven’t traveled alone, then you haven’t traveled before. I hate to be the party pooper here, but no matter how much fun you’ve had on your family vacations or school trips, it’s never like solo traveling. This, my friend, is a life-changing experience. Here are 20 reasons why you must try traveling on your own.

1. It makes you more responsible

Traveling alone is a huge responsibility. You have a lot of things to deal with, from being punctual in order not to miss your ride to finding your way to places and dealing with people who speak languages you don’t speak. Not to mention taking safety precautions against pickpockets or sellers that might try to rip you off.

This experience will make you more responsible and it will make you self-dependent. No one is going to be there to take care of you, no one is going to wake you up for check-out, and no one will plan for you either. However, after this experience, you’ll come to a point where you find that traveling has never been easier. Everything could be done online; hostels, transportation, everything. You can even book tickets online for the sites you’re visiting and skip the line.

2. You’ll break free from your comfort zone

When you’re not used to traveling alone, it will force you out of your comfort zone. You’ll get to experience new things and you’ll get to know things you never knew about yourself. It’s basically a great journey of self-discovery. Your inner self will surprise you with hidden aspects of your personality you never knew they existed.

3. Perks of not having company

Believe it or not, but when you’re out there on your own, you get to do things you would’ve never done if you were with your friends. I’m not only talking about places you’d want to go to or things you’d want to do that they wouldn’t be interested in. I’m also talking about mingling with strangers in line, or maybe your receptionist or bartender. I’m talking about partying with random people you just met at the hostel. When you’re with friends, you’re most likely going to stick to them, unless they’re spontaneous social butterflies.

4. You’ll meet amazing people

Based on the previous point, I assure you that you’ll meet amazing people. Whether you end up as good friends and stay in touch or if you never meet again, these strangers might actually be the highlight of your trip. They’ll teach you new things, inspire you, and bring out the best in you. You might share interests, or you may not. Either way, you’ll definitely have one thing in common; you’ll all be having the time of your lives on this adventure.

5. The -random stranger- conversations

YES! Those meaningful, random conversations with total strangers; that you only see in movies, do exist in real life. Talking with strangers is a really nice thing actually. You get more insight and you get to be exposed to completely different mindsets. These conversations can also point out things you never noticed about yourself; they can empower you in a way or another. They can inspire you and they can give you answers you’ve been looking for. In fact, these random strangers might turn into lifetime friends of yours. You might also never see them again, but the conversations will remain.

6. The cultural exchange

I know this one sounds like stating the obvious but getting to know people from all over the world will definitely add more value to your life. You’ll get to know more about cultures you knew nothing about and you’ll think of going to countries that visiting them has never crossed your mind before. You’ll go back home with a new set of vocabulary in different languages that were somehow part of your short adventure. You’ll accidentally start cursing in Spanish, you’ll try your new Italian pickup lines, and you’ll start telling the difference between Hispanics.

7. Breaking stereotypes

As a part of the cultural exchange, breaking the stereotypes will definitely be a thing you’ll have to stumble upon. It’s going to be a great opportunity for you to change how the world views you. In my case, some people now know that I don’t go to school by camel, I don’t live in the desert, and Egypt has a lot more than just the Pyramids; with all due respect to my dearest ancestors, of course.

Not just that, but you’ll change how you think of others too. Like the actual fact that there are redhead Mexicans or that Asians aren’t necessarily shy. The stereotype that is so true is that the Spanish are so damn fun and you can’t deny it.

8. You become an expert at problem-solving

On any trip, there’s a good probability you might face some obstacles. You might miss your train, there could be an accident on the road that might make you run late, you might get mugged, or your phone’s battery could die when you’re lost. Normally, you’d panic, or at least in the beginning. However, when you’re out there on your own, you’ll realize that panicking won’t help and you’ll learn to act quickly. The circumstances will force you to solve your problems while being as calm as you can. What’s the point of panicking when you’re drowning? You just need to figure out a way to keep floating. More or less, it’s the same thing.

9. Planning 101

This experience will definitely help you develop your planning skills. Planning your itinerary, picking the right hostels, booking your transportation tickets, comparing deals and prices, setting a budget and controlling your financials, you name it! This will all transform you into a more organized version of yourself. Basically, this will introduce you to adulthood.

10. You also become more spontaneous

The fact that this experience teaches you how to be an adult doesn’t necessarily mean that it will suck the fun out of you. In fact, it will make you more spontaneous. Solo traveling and hanging out with strangers will allow you to embrace your inner free spirit. Believe it or not, some days end up being the best days of your life if you didn’t plan for them in advance. Sometimes it’s better to go with the flow or see how things would go.

You might like: Travel FAQ Answered: To Plan or Not to Plan?

11. New Experiences

As you say goodbye to your comfort zone, you’re going to try new things. Maybe things you weren’t comfortable doing before or maybe trying new dishes or listening to a new genre of music. The solo traveling experience will be completely new to you. Whatever that is you’ll experience, enjoy it and appreciate it because it’s going to be worth it.

12.You’ll enjoy your “me time”

If enjoying your own company wasn’t your thing, it’ll no longer be a big deal after you try solo traveling. You’ll come to realize that you don’t need your friends or any company at all to have fun. You’ll finally have some “me time” and actually enjoy it. It’s going to be a great opportunity to get to know yourself, what you like, and what makes you genuinely happy. Of course, you all think that these are things that you already know, but actually, you don’t. There are far more things you don’t know about yourself than you think you do. You’ll figure out these mysteries when you unplug and disconnect from the fast-paced world.

13. You’ll be more confident

Being on your own will definitely boost your self-confidence. You’ll no longer think twice and you’ll no longer doubt your abilities. “You can do it” will be your new motto. What’s the worst thing that could possibly happen? By the end of this adventure, you’ll be a stronger independent version of yourself.

14. You get to be your own boss

Planning your own itinerary is probably one of the best perks of this opportunity; you get to be your own boss. No one nags about wanting to do or go somewhere else. It’s only one person who has a say in things and it’s you! More freedom and flexibility will allow you to enjoy your trip without any time wasted on indecisive planning.

15. You’ll unleash your inner photographer

Although you’ll have a hard time finding someone to take proper photos of you, you’ll still get to unleash your inner photographer and develop your photography skills. Whether you’re a professional or an amateur, traveling will provide you with endless sceneries and settings for practicing what might possibly be one of your hobbies. You’d better charge your batteries and keep those Instagram likes coming.

16. It’ll boost your creativity level

Get ready for endless inspiration! In every street corner, with every stranger you meet, with every memory you make, you’ll find something that’ll inspire you. Exposing yourself to a whole new world will offer you experiences that you can look at like creativity pills, for instance. Ideas will keep popping and your imagination will go wild.

17. You’ll get lost

YES! You’ll get lost. You read that correctly! Even though, thanks to that trip, you’ll master Google Maps and you’ll become a navigating guru, still, getting lost is possible and has it has privileges. The idea of getting lost will definitely make you panic right now, but when you learn to chill and relax you’ll actually love the idea.

Getting lost will present you with the opportunity of discovery. You’ll stumble upon cool places like local diners or vintage stores. You’ll stumble upon street performers that will amaze you or sceneries that will take your breath away. You’ll come across friendly locals that will guide you. Most importantly, you’ll memorize your way back to the hostel and you’ll train your photographic memory.

18. You’ll find new things to love

As I previously mentioned, you’ll have new experiences and you’ll try new things. After trying over and over again, you’ll start falling in love with a few of these things. You’ll find happiness somewhere new. You’ll go back home with new habits. Maybe you’ll start enjoying waking up early or maybe you’ll for long walks more often. Maybe you’ll obsess over a particular cuisine and learn how to cook a couple of meals. Maybe you’ll find happiness and tranquility in your “me time” and start dedicating some time for yourself every day from now on. There are a lot of possibilities depending on one person’s experience from another.

19. You’ll start collecting memories

By memories here I’m not only talking about actual moments you saved somewhere in your brain; memories will start meaning more than just that. You’ll see memories in photos, in the souvenirs you collect, in the metro tickets you’ll have, and every confirmation e-mail you’ll receive from booking.com. The memories you’ll make when you travel on your own are like no other because this is the kind of experience that touches you, that adds value to your life, and most importantly, changes your life forever.

20. You’ll have great stories to tell

This is possibly one of the most important reasons of all. Who doesn’t like great stories? And most importantly, who doesn’t like having great stories to tell? Well, we all do. Congratulations then, you get to have loads of these. You get to brag in front of your friends about the festivals you’ve been to. You get to tell your grandchildren about the mountains you’ve climbed. But you know what’s really cool? When you get to write all about it and share it on a blog to inspire others.

What are you waiting for? All that you need is a backpack, a passport, and the spirit of a traveler who’s ready to explore the world full of opportunities.

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