Why I Travel Alone and Why you Should Travel Alone at Least Once

The thought of being across the other side of the world from my family, friends and everything that is normal to me was quite daunting. Mid 2017 I had broken it off with a love interest, I wasn’t studying and I was working a minimum wage job at a local burger shop, I had a sense of worthlessness and I just felt like I needed to do something bigger with my life. One afternoon I walked into an STA Travel at my local shopping centre and asked for the best selling tour for my age group, I walked out with return flights, accommodation and a guided tour booked for February 2018. Initially, my mum questioned why out of the whole world I chose Europe to visit, I actually had no answer in fact majority of the places on my itinerary I had never even heard of before.

Travelling to Europe by myself was one of the most incredible experiences in my life. From sitting on a 14-hour flight from Brisbane to Dubai then getting lost in the biggest airport I’ve ever seen in my life to my connection flight to London. I specifically remember as I was walking from the Underground to my hotel in London, the feeling of the freezing temperatures touching my skin, a cold feeling I have never felt before. Witnessing the the snow fall to the ground for the first time or seeing the Eiffel Tower light up, The sense of the unknown when I stepped onto the bus every day that drove me to a new country and city is a feeling I cant explain to anyone. Travelling overseas, especially solo is an exhilarating and empowering experience, this feeling is why I recommend everyone to experience travelling at least once in their life. Finally, what I think is one of my favourite reasons to travel by one's self is that you are able to live in the moment by focusing on the destination and really take in the beauty of the world. I remember just sitting at a small cafe on the bay in Mykonos and it was the first time I really saw how beautiful the town was and I took time to admire the clear blue water.

Travelling solo also in a way forces you to interact with others and pushes your boundaries socially it also grows your confidence. I personally know after my first solo trip I am more comfortable socialising with new people and I now have friends all over the world. There are endless possibilities , you are own your own schedule and you are free to make your own decisions on what countries to visit, sites to see and what restaurants you should eat at. You are also able to be more flexible for example, I wanted to leave Croatia early so I was able to book flights on that exact day and by 6am the following day I arrived in Mykonos for another part of my journey.

If you are contemplating whether or not to book the trip just do it! The world is so big, there are so many sites to see, foods to try, cultures to learn about and so many people to meet. This is very cliche although, I always justify travelling by telling myself and others If I don’t do it now when will I? or anything can happen to me tomorrow, I might as well live my life to the fullest while I can.

At the end of the day you can always come home and your money will always return, just remember to keep safe and don't regret a single thing.

Lucern, Switzerland

If you have any questions about booking your first overseas trip please feel free to leave me a comment down below.