Why Everyone Should Travel Solo At Least Once (Especially If You’re A Woman)

Three years ago I did something that I didn’t think I would ever be able to.

I quit my job, I booked a one way ticket, and I flew to the other side of the world.

On my own.

Was I crazy!?

The idea of solo travel was one that had always intrigued me, but one that felt completely unachievable. I obsessively followed countless blogs and devoured countless books about brave, strong and inspiring women who explored far-flung destinations with just their passport and their backpack – surely I could never be one of those women? As someone who can barely find their way around London on their own, even with the help of Google maps, how on earth would I successfully navigate the completely alien streets of South East Asia!?

There was always something that had been stopping me from chasing my dream of travelling, be it fear, lack of money, or just general commitments. And above everything else, I simply had nobody to go with me. But as they say, if you wait until you’re ready, or until other people are ready for that matter, you’ll be waiting your whole life. So with no major responsibilities holding me back, I grit my teeth, took the bull by the horns, and I went on my own.

For eight months I had the time of my life. I hand-fed elephants in Thailand, I stayed with indigenous tribes in Laos, I swam with glowing plankton in Cambodia and I drove a scooter around Vietnam. I explored the world’s oldest rainforest in Malaysia and I had my first questionable taste of Durian in Singapore. I surfed in Australia, I climbed mountains in New Zealand, and I dangled out of moving trains in Sri Lanka.

For those eight months I completely pushed myself out of my comfort zone and challenged myself every single day. I spent all of my money, but I gained even more memories (as well as a cracking tan) and learnt a lot of valuable lessons. During those months, I had never felt more strong, brave and confident. And just over two years since returning home, though I’m sure my friends and family are beyond fed up of hearing about it, I can honestly that trip is still one of my biggest and proudest achievements. Whenever I’m feeling down or questioning my abilities, that’s the time I look back on to remind myself of what I’m capable of.

But it wasn’t always easy. Solo travel is never easy.

As soon as I booked that plane ticket and committed myself to going, I was terrified. In the hours leading up to my flight, I remember so clearly the feeling of dread as I cried on my own in the toilets at Heathrow airport, completely overwhelmed by the daunting unknown that lay ahead. I bordered on panic every time I thought about what could go wrong, and believe me, I had mentally replayed every possible scenario over and over again in my head. My Dad was convinced I would get kidnapped and my Mum made me double check that my insurance covered repatriation so they would be able to bring my body back.

My decision to go travelling alone was met with a lot of negativity and, understandably, worry. There was a constant voice in my head telling me I couldn’t do it, I shouldn’t do it. But the voice telling me I’d regret it if I didn’t try was so much louder.

Would I have had the same response if I had been travelling with someone else? Probably not.

Do I still think everyone should travel solo at least once in their life? Absolutely.

Like many people, I’ve always struggled with fear and self doubt. Everything I did was accompanied with a thought that I wasn’t good enough. This trip was my way to try and get rid of all of those thoughts that I couldn’t do it and prove to myself that, actually, I could.

People asked if I was scared. They asked if I was lonely. They said how they could never do what I was doing, or that they wanted to but they were afraid. I feel like these words from Cheryl Strayed are a good response:

“So much of the most important things I’ve ever done in my life… all happened because I decided that I wasn’t going to let fear hold me back… Being fearless is not being unafraid, it’s existing with your fear.”

Was I scared? Of course. Did I get lonely? Yes. But I wasn’t always scared, and I wasn’t always lonely. Actually, despite the term “travelling solo”, I was very rarely on my own – I made friends everywhere I went (and for an introvert, that in itself is a big achievement). But when I did have those moments of struggle, I was able to pick myself up and carry on because I learnt to move past the low points and continue despite them. By travelling on my own and having no one to rely on apart from myself, I couldn’t let fear or loneliness hold me back or overwhelm me, because if I did I wouldn’t have made it through those eight months. I wouldn’t have even stepped on that plane in the first place.

And my dreams would remain just that – dreams.

As a woman, there are few things as liberating as successfully doing something that society has deemed not suitable for you. Solo travel is one of those things. In a world filled with scare-mongering and painted as a dangerous place for women to travel on their own, nothing gives you more power than twisting that notion on its head by proving that we don’t have as much to fear as we think we do. Of course, that’s not to say that there isn’t risk involved, but the reality is danger can be anywhere. There are bad people everywhere in the world – they’re back in your own country too – but if you live in fear of all the bad things that could happen, you will be sacrificing all the amazing possibilities that have the potential to enrich your life.

When you’re travelling with friends or family, it’s easy to become closed-off to others and stay within the comforts of your own group. However, when you’re on your own it’s likely that you’ll find yourself in situations where you have no other choice but to rely on the kindness of strangers. During my solo travels I met some of the most kind and open people in my life who, without a doubt, I wouldn’t have met if I’d been travelling with someone else. From the people who welcomed me into their homes when hostels were fully booked, to the drivers who picked me up when I was hitchhiking, to the man who calmed me down and paid for a tuk-tuk to take me to the police station after I was mugged – there’s a lot of good in the world out there, you just need the courage to go and see it for yourself.

More importantly, you will learn so much more about yourself through solo travel. Travelling on your own is more than just going away and seeing an amazing destination – it’s a journey of personal growth. You will learn lessons about resilience, determination, and courage. You will learn that the things that seem scary at first aren’t nearly as scary as you imagined, and if you did it and it was still scary, well, at least you tried! You proved to yourself that you were able to overcome fear and you survived. With that knowledge comes the power and confidence to try anything.

You will learn about the things you like, and what you don’t like. You will learn about the things you want to make time for, and the things you don’t. You will learn what’s important to you, and what isn’t.

And you will be able to do all this with absolute freedom. You won’t need to sacrifice what you want to do in order to please other people. You can do what you want, where you want, when you want, all without needing the approval of someone else.

Of course solo travel won’t be for everyone. As I said, it’s not easy. For some people, the obstacles and hurdles will be too much, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. There is no right or wrong way to travel. If you’ve already got a reliable travel buddy who wants to do exactly the same things you want to do, and vice versa, then that’s great! But if you don’t, then please don’t let that hold you back. You don’t need a designated buddy to explore the world.

So, if solo travel is something that’s intrigued you but you’re scared to take that first step, or you’re waiting for that friend to finally be ready to come with you, then stop waiting. Just take the leap and go for it. Because as soon as you do you will realise that your life is exactly that – your life – and the only person you need to rely on to live out your dreams is yourself.

*Mic drop*

Love, Beth x