For most, the thought of traveling anywhere alone can be a little uncomfortable and quite a bit scary. Thoughts of what could go wrong start swirling around in your head and you start to question whether you can do it all on your own. Luckily, discomfort is absolutely crucial for personal growth. As said by Margie Warrell of Forbes, “those who are willing to take risks, step out of their comfort zone and into the discomfort of uncertainty will be those who will reap the biggest rewards.” To me, there is no better way to connect with yourself and become a more confident person than by solo travel. You’ll have more time in your own head than you’ve ever experienced before, you will open up your life to new possibilities, and you will notice the strengths (and weaknesses) within yourself that you may have never seen before. You’ll feel joy beyond description, you’ll feel despair, panic, and anxiety too, but it’s all a part of the epic journey towards becoming your most confident self.

Here Are 5 Ways Solo Travel Makes You a More Confident Person

1. You will face challenges and learn to overcome them on your own

Traveling solo really tests your strength, because you won’t have anyone else to rely on if something goes wrong. It’s not all rainbows & butterflies, and things will go wrong! You’ll get lost, ripped off, miss a bus or a train, and may even come down with a case of food poisoning. And as you have no one with you to form options with, to bitch with, or be angry with, you learn about your emotions and how you react in situations of stress. Ultimately, you learn how to deal with challenging, uncomfortable situations on your own, and that in itself builds character and confidence.

2. You will make all of your own decisions

The magical thing about solo travel is that it gives you the opportunity to do whatever you want, whenever you want. No one is telling you where to go or when to go, what to do, or how to spend your time. It’s entirely your call, and that’s empowering! You do things for you and no one else, so if you want to leave a day early to go somewhere else or extend your stay somewhere because you love it, you have no one to ask. Do you want to wake up extra early to get ahead on the day? Stop off at a café and spend an hour people watching? Change up your itinerary entirely and take a bus to a new city? Go for it! It’s a time to be selfish and to enjoy your time however you please, without having to abide by anyone else’s schedule.

3. You will become more independent and feel more connected with yourself

When you’re traveling solo, you have a lot of time to be in your own head. Of course you meet lots of people along the way, but for the most part, you’re on your own and that’s kind of what it’s all about. You give yourself the time to reflect on things from your past, what’s going on in the present, and what you want for the future. How could I have handled that situation better? What makes me happy? You can’t help but ask yourself these questions and reach within yourself to find the answer. You develop a sense of independence through getting to know yourself better, and things you once thought of as needing someone else to do with, suddenly becomes a solo activity. Taking yourself out for dinner for example; it’s not lonely, it’s an opportunity to independently enjoy a lovely meal and your own company!

4. You will be forced to come out of your shell, be a little vulnerable, and make new friends

Unless you’re a complete extrovert, striking up a conversation with new people can cause quite a bit of anxiety. When you travel with people/a person you already know, that anxiety doesn’t exist because you are already comfortable with those people. Thus, you are much less likely to open up to new people and form new relationships when you’re in the company of a best friend, group of friends or a significant other. Ultimately, you miss out on a huge part of what traveling is all about; connecting with people from all over the world. In the process of putting yourself out there to connect with new people and make new friends, you are building self esteem and self confidence.

5. You will be proud of yourself and all that you’ve accomplished

Traveling solo is not easy. And as discussed in the other reasons above, it can be challenging, stressful, and anxiety causing. But the reward that comes out of it is immeasurable and far greater than any negatives. The excitement of trying local cuisine for the first time, the memories made with new friends from all over the world, the triumph of making it to the summit after a grueling climb, or even just navigating a city by yourself; these are all things you look back on and say, wow – I did that. Not only do you become a more confident version of yourself, you become a stronger citizen of the world.

Have you ever traveled solo before? If not, is it something you’d be willing to try?

For more on solo travel, check out 5 Mistakes to Avoid While Traveling Solo!

Wander On,

Wanderluluu xx