Traveling Alone? Why not, it will change your core!

Traveling alone teaches us things, it changes us. We are curious creatures by nature and the reward of such a wonderful experience as is traveling can be greater than you expect. Keep reading to find out why.

“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.”

—Susan Sontag

The State of Solitude

When we are alone and traveling alone, we are truly free. You allow yourself to be exactly who you are without fear of judgement or the need to please anyone.

Now, there is a huge difference between being alone and feeling lonely. To completely accept the circumstance of your being alone is how you’ll feel truly fulfilled in your journey.

Step into the unknown

It’s firstly about the cultural shock, you see. When you get off the train or step out from the airport, you’ll encounter a whole new world. You have to get around somehow, so you need to learn at least a few things in a foreign language. This takes your linguistic mind right out of its comfort zone and into the struggle.

It may sound awful, I know, but believe me, it’s really not … Because you’re adapting. And according to nature’s law “adapt or die”, if you adapt, not only you survive, but you also evolve.

You may have guessed by now, but of course I am not talking about going to some all-you-can-eat resort or anything like that. The kind of experience I mean to portray here is that which feels like a genuine adventure.

It can get scary as hell

You are going to get lost, yes. But that’s how you discover new things you didn’t expect to find otherwise. It’s all in the perspective you give to the experience.

It can be scary as hell. I know a woman who traveled alone to Berlin once. When she got there, it was late at night and she found herself alone in a seedy part of town, men glancing at her and with no idea where she was. But she didn’t let fear take control of her. She knew she had to find a place to stay the night, be brave, ask for directions and move on.

When she got to a hotel safe and sound, do you know how she felt? She felt strong and powerful and renewed. That’s a feeling that sticks with you forever.

“This is what you do on your very first day in Paris. You get yourself, not a drizzle, but some honest-to-goodness rain, and you find yourself someone really nice and drive her through the Bois de Boulogne in a taxi.”

—Sabrina (1954)

People are great

Ah, traveling alone also means meeting new people! You never know what to expect, right? Especially if the person you’re talking to comes from a completely different and unique cultural background. People are great. They show you how we humans really are; so different and so similar at the same time. There’s so much you can hear from others; you could never imagine!

Your very own schedule!

Feel like eating a dish of the local gastronomy? Go ahead. Maybe visit some cool museums (which some travel companion could even find boring) or the home of one of your favorite authors. Why not?

You can do whatever you feel like doing and at the pace you’re more comfortable with. No whining, no talking; only you and your internal dialogue.

Also, you are free to get as amazed as you want when you encounter new things. This means a truly pure reaction to things, which is a sign of the freedom you have as well.

In my own experience when traveling alone …

I learned many wonderful things by traveling alone, so much so that it’s become one of the things I look forward to do as often as I can. I have met truly amazing people and I have made some really good decisions when I was far away from home.

The best ideas can also come when you’re traveling! Even www.fail.coach started in my head while I was doing so.

This is what’s happening in the 21^st century. More and more people are daring to let go of the fear and get out there by themselves. And that makes me so glad. If you haven’t done it, you should give it a try. Traveling alone is definitely something you wouldn’t regret. It’s like I said in the title of this post: it’s a true self-coaching experience.

So, don’t be afraid … And go!

Want to read more advices from an experienced Fail Coach? Then browse through our categories Life Coaching, Real Life Stories and Business Failure and take a day off, because you’ll find plenty of interesting reading material.