Solo traveling is becoming increasingly popular and it makes me so happy because I’ve been preaching this for 10 years. It might sound boring or scary at first but I wanted to share what has drawn me in year after year and how it has changed my life.

Solo travel is beautiful for so many reasons, here’s a few:

Never Waiting on Anyone

First, it’s great because you don’t have to wait for anyone or on anyone. You know when you have that group chat and your friends talk about a tropical vacation but it never leaves your chat?Yeah, that. You only have to wait on yourself and you’re fully in control. You can spend the day as you please, hungry now? Great, you don’t have to do that dance with your friends on what they’re in the mood for or what their budget is. Feeling tired and want to cut the day full of itineraries short? Cool, you can do that. There’s more control and freedom in going alone. You can really honor your feelings and what you’re in the mood for.

Growth and Confidence Building

The best parts of solo travel is the growth and confidence. I believe travel can be the greatest form of self-discovery and seeing your strength. Being alone in a foreign country where everything is new, different, and not your own puts you on the spot and you really hace to trust yourself and your instincts. You’re all you got. Once you start trusting yourself, you gain confidence. 

Traveling alone has been pivotal for me in:

• gaining confidence
• learning how to listen to myself while tuning others out
•  trust my instincts
• make decisions
• sit in silence
• communicate
• self-reflect.  

These trips have given me strength, a voice, and confidence that have helped me get through grad school, land interviews, internships, and even jobs.

New Friendships

Other than the skills, it has brought me new friendships that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. It’s a lot easier to approach someone alone than a big group of friends so you miss out on the opportunities to connect with locals or travelers. Like eating out at a restaurant alone is bound to bring you conversations from the host, waiter/waitress, bartender, or even another traveler. How about when you’re taking a taxi or Uber? My best conversations happen when I’m alone and in an Uber… you get to chat with a local, get some tips, and avoid loneliness.

I wouldn’t be traveling the world if it was just for the photos or the flex. Travel has enriched my life in so many ways, making me the woman I am today. I think as a Pakistani-American, Muslim daughter of immigrants it was the experience I needed to develop confidence, break out of the toxic cycles, and have an abundance mindset.

All in all, it’s a spectacular experience that I hope everyone experiences at least once. It doesn’t have to be a big trip or require you to quit your job, it can be domestic and over a weekend.