Why You Should Travel Solo at Least Once

Booking a plane ticket for one might not seem like an obvious way to prepare for your next vacation — especially if you usually travel with a partner, family members or friends. But here’s what many solo traveling enthusiasts will tell you: It’s a first step toward an incredible, life-changing journey.
                                           

Traveling solo gives you the freedom to explore new places at your own pace and chase crazy-ambitious travel goals. Plus, you’ll get to know yourself — and unfamiliar parts of the world — on a whole new level. Here’s why you should try it at least once, from four prolific solo travelers.

You’ll be free to explore on short notice

When you’re in a group, planning a day out requires intense coordination and, often, a little persuasion. When you’re on your own, it’s a different story.

“When I travel by myself, I tend to have some key, big items I definitely want to do, and I keep everything else flexible, so if something comes up, I always have time to do it,” says Pauline Lim, a data analyst at Airbnb, based in San Francisco. So far, she’s visited 40 countries; after her next solo trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway, she’ll have visited 46.

You’ll have more chances to meet new people

Like Baron, Brittany Kulick quickly discovered that traveling solo gave her plenty of opportunities to get to know the folks around her.

“There’s something to be said for just really going after what you want, and doing something that’s exactly tailored to what you’re wanting to do at that moment,” says Kulick, founder of the travel and food blog The Sweet Wanderlust. “The greatest thing about solo travel is the people you meet, who are looking exactly for that same thing at that same time.”

Kulick has visited 54 countries and makes a living by doing freelance marketing, social media management and copywriting, as well as picking up temporary work. In 2015, she left Dallas to travel solo full-time.