3 Quick Tips to Make Solo Traveling Easy and Magical
I talked about a few themes I want to explore from “How to Empower Yourself: The Magic of Solo Travel” . First is “how to travel solo” or “solo-(fill in the blank).” I know that millions of articles come out every so often, addressing these topics. And yes, the best thing to do is to take baby steps, like going to a restaurant by yourself or driving to the next town or city next to you and exploring.
You could even explore the town or city where you currently live. All of these are great tips to start in the world of solo travel. But let’s dig a little deeper with these 3 quick tips.
Tip one: Find Motivation
I got into this lifestyle because I was tired of waiting for people to do things with me, and I had a few shitty experiences. That was my motivator to live a solo travel lifestyle. I suggest finding what motivates you.
Does traveling to 150-plus countries wearing a backpack for two years inspire you?
Maybe hotel-hopping in cities thrills you?
Does the challenge of figuring out a 16-day road trip excite you?
Or does letting go of your fears and doing what makes you happy motivate you?
Your motivation will change over time. Mine has. I began by wanting to see the world because I wanted to escape life. Now, I want to experience the world to learn, let go, tell stories, and be an active member of this earth.
And if you don't have the motivation and are still like, I can't do this, well, my love, you can. The moment you say you can’t is the moment you limit yourself. Yes, it can be scary.
It can be annoying.
It can be costly.
It can make you cry.
But it will make you stronger, and it will make you a better person.
It will make you learn more about yourself.
Tip two: Learn About Yourself
In my blog, I mentioned that we tend to forget we are a person, too, and we need to take more time to learn who we are. I can't just take a holiday anytime I want because I have a job and responsibilities.
But between my travels, I take myself out on dates.
These dates can be hiking in the woods, skiing, bringing a book to the bar and reading it, trying a new yoga class, or attending events on my own. They can be ANYTHING!
All the lessons I learn about myself on my trips are practice for when I do date nights with myself. Doing date nights also helps me with challenging relationships with friends, family, and dating. The more I learn about myself, the more tools I have to work through difficult times with other people.
As I mentioned, I've learned:
What makes me truly happy
What annoys me
How I fake a lot of stuff
How to ground myself
What I like or don't like to do
How I tick as a human
What I need or don't need
How to accept temporary relationships
How to release fears and doubts
How we are supposed to live
These are the reasons why I travel solo.
Tip Three: Don’t Let Those People Bring You Down!
So, you are ready to travel solo or do solo fill-in-the-blanks, but people are making you nervous, saying you will be murdered, or giving you a hard time.
Here is my tip for that: If someone gives you a hard time about it, fuck them. They are just projecting their own fears onto you. They could be jealous of how awesome you are, or most likely, they fear taking that risk on their own.
Now, the people who care about you are very overprotective. You can't change them, but you can accept them and still do you.
Maybe you could tell them about your trip after you come back, or tell them everything you have done to be safe, but still allow them to freak out—because we all know they will—and that's okay. Have a heartfelt conversation with them and tell them how you feel.
Time is precious.
Don't waste it by being scared, holding back, waiting for people, or waiting for the "right" time.
Don't wait.
Adventure, to me, is anything that I haven't done already. So take yourself on an adventure already! You will thank yourself. It may not be right away, but you will.