Imagine yourself as a child, learning about geography, cultures, studying maps and history about explorers and inspiring globe trotters. Maybe you were afraid of the unknown, or maybe you had pictures posted on your walls and journals about the places you’d go one day. As time goes on, desires may change as responsibilities creep in, jobs become increasingly demanding of our time and our new relationships take priority and we may never travel to all the places we once said we would. If there is any reason at all to travel, I vote you go, take a solo trip and cross of those bucket list places before too much life gets in the way. Here are 5 reasons I have found you must take a solo trip before you are 30.
- Find yourself
The expression “finding yourself” can hold many meanings. There are roads to discovery all throughout our lives, we find ourselves a bit when we are a child when we grow up and go through school, when we have our first real relationship, when we go through challenges and struggles we find ourselves even more. When we become of an age where we can independently travel alone, it’s another milestone where we find ourselves. It’s a time when you decide for yourself what you like and do not, when you go through some challenges and get into some sticky situations and have to work your way through them. Many times when you take a solo trip, you will have silent moments of reflections where you can pause and think about your life, where you’ve been and where you want to be. Furthermore, you can discover who you have been, who you are, and who you want to be.
- Learn to be independent
Traveling comes with many challenges and struggles, as well as many triumphs. When you take a solo trip, you are relying on yourself to book your trip, plan expenses, navigate your way through a confusing airport, busy town and unknown place, sometimes in an unknown language. When you take a solo trip you are forced to rely on yourself for everything, and as a result, it can establish an independence in your like you’ve never known before.
- Make new friends
When you take a solo trip, you have the freedom to meet new people, people that are interesting, unique and who you probably never would have met had you stayed home. When you open your mind and socialize with people you don’t know, then you can make friendships that can last a lifetime. Meeting people who travel can create a special bond and unforgettable experiences. By the time you are 30, you will have established life long friendships, romantic relationships, and maybe even thinking about marriage and children. When you take a solo trip, you allow yourself the freedom to make new friends that you may not have the time for when you are much older.
- Get out of your comfort zone
The most challenging part of travel for many is getting out of your comfort zone. Especially if you haven’t traveled much or at all in the past, traveling alone can be terrifying, but it is always worth it. When you take a solo trip, you are challenged in many ways to do things that make you feel uncomfortable, afraid, or just plain foreign, but in the end it is these experiences that grow you as a person and create who you are as an adult.
- Expand your horizons
There are so many places, people, and things in this world to fall in love with. When you spend your 20’s exploring these things, it can give you direction, clarity, and excitement about what you really want to pursue, and what you’d be okay with leaving behind. Before your trip, you may think you are completely happy and content with where you are, and that there is no reason to go anywhere else; however, once you hop in that car and begin driving, fly to a new land, or begin discovering a new place, you may find yourself in love with a new horizon and your perspective about your own life may change. If for no other reason, you must take a solo trip before your 30 to experience a different culture, food, people, and landscapes you never would otherwise know. You might love it, and you might hate it, but you’ll never know unless you go.
What do you think?