17 THINGS SOLO TRAVEL TAUGHT ME

Solo travel taught me many things and it continues to teach me life lessons and skills that I would otherwise overlook when traveling with people. Sometimes it’s the briefest interactions, the hypervigilance, and the solitude all combined together that allow your travel experience to be elevated to a higher degree. Sometimes for the good, and other times for the not-so-good. It can be a mixture of emotions and realizations that unravel as you journey through the unknown alone.

Nonetheless, it’s a journey of many wonders and one I would never trade for what it’s given me. To reflect on the many lessons solo travel has taught me thus far, here are the 17 important ones I’ve come to appreciate most.

Softness

I begin with softness because it’s been the biggest lesson for me. For a while, I thought, that becoming a stronger person would make me less of an emotional person. What I was never told was that “softness” does not diminish how strong of a person you are. We can be both, and still, be powerful forces.

With time and a deeper understanding of myself, travel became my spiritual connection to the world and God. From seeing new places, connecting with people of all backgrounds, and constantly making an effort to learn, my softness and the depth it came with only grew.

It’s a powerful thing.

Treating yourself

I love to talk about how I will find myself a sugar daddy who will support my vicarious and boundless lifestyle. It makes men uncomfortable, and that’s what I’m here for.

Chill, I’m kidding…

Travel is me filling my soul with what my Creator has made available for me to witness. It’s my way of treating myself, all while taking in everything the journey has to offer.

My motto is, “If you don’t treat yourself, who will?”

Investing in experiences

I may have chosen the unconventional route of not focusing on my career after university, but I created a life that gave me the experience of a lifetime. No one will teach you about life and the world, but life and the world themselves. I did it for myself, my soul, and the generations I hope to pass my wisdom and knowledge to.

All I know is, I got juicy stories.

You cannot feel bad for wanting to travel alone

It’s nothing personal. Sometimes you just cannot wait on people and need to do what you need to do. For me, it’s also wanting to be in my own presence. There will be a time when I can welcome wanted company and other times when it needs to just be me. Solo travel and learning when and how to set boundaries has been the most rewarding experience.

You learn as you go

There’s no such thing as becoming the best solo traveler after taking one solo trip. The number of solo trips I’ve taken surpasses the number of fingers and toes I have, and yet I’m constantly adjusting my way of travel. I’ve learned that the best lessons are the ones you learn as you go. This teaches you to be mindful and a lot more forgiving of yourself.

You’re a social loner

Solo traveling will put you in situations where you meet all kinds of people and have the ability to connect on a universal level. Equally, you will realize how little the circle of friends you have when you’re back home, simply because your lives have taken separate routes. And that’s alright.

It’s also beautiful to know that most of my lasting and meaningful relationships have been with the individuals I’ve met abroad. There’s a stronger willingness to keep in touch, regardless of the time difference and distance.

How capable you really are

If I can navigate a whole different country alone, there’s nothing I cannot do. Period. I thank my immigrant parents for subconsciously and consciously showing me what it means to be resilient. I had the choice to leave the comforts of what I know at a young age and learned to build unshatterable faith that I would be alright. I think that’s commendable.

To appreciate and accept people

Solo travel taught me to appreciate the people around me and understand that everyone is on a different journey. Just as I would hope others take me as I am, I must reciprocate that same energy.

It’s addicting

Indeed, it is. If you do it right and focus on being present in your experience, you start craving for more. Next thing you know, you’re mapping out places you want to go before your current trip is over. It really be like that sometimes.

It’s not always cheap

Traveling on a budget comes easy to me, although sometimes I just want to be bougie without paying the price. Sometimes traveling in pairs is an option you wish you easily had simply to offset the expenses of traveling alone.

You can only order as much as you can handle

On days I want to eat with my eyes, I wish I had people to travel with so we could share the portions. Plus, food tastes better when you eat it with people. A fact.

It’s not for everyone

To recommend solo travel is one thing, but to be opinionated about a person who doesn’t have the desire to travel solo because it’s not their thing is another. As a solo traveler, I have to remind myself that not everyone enjoys doing things alone. They may appreciate those who solo travel, but for them, they choose not to. 

For myself, I had to learn to be comfortable with traveling solo and finding power in it.

You learn to have a stronger gut feeling

I never quite understood what older folks meant by saying, “Follow your gut feeling”, but when you’re living across the ocean from everything you know, you have no choice but to learn to trust yourself during the hardest moments.

Learning to listen to my gut feeling was a process I had to understand and interpret based on how my body would react to different situations. I cannot fully explain how deep this gut feeling became from traveling and acknowledging how much of my life was simply just me & God. 

People will stare a little longer

You’re walking alone, you’re a brown woman, a visible Muslim, and their curious eyes have a reason to stare and wonder. I dislike every reason people have the need to stare too long, but you learn to understand that humans are just curiously nosy creatures. 

We live in a world where sometimes your presence is so much of a novelty, and you can’t do anything about how others react to you.

Sometimes all you want is good company to offset the quieter days 

There can be too many quiet days, and sometimes they feel like the hardest and most torturous. Other times they can be the most peaceful. Days I wish I could offset the quietness when there’s no company to be found, I’ve had to learn to keep myself mentally and physically occupied. Everything from creating projects, baking, going for walks and/or bike rides, shopping, eating out, and the list goes on.

Here are helpful tips on how to manage loneliness abroad.

It can be overwhelming

Solo travel can feel and be chaotic most of the time. It’s everything from relying mostly on yourself to find the answers you need, trying to be humanely possible during frustrating times, and doing your best not to lose your sh*t completely – it’s not the most glamorous. I’ve had many days of wanting to literally give up and throw a tantrum, then realize I don’t deserve to be put in a bad mood for situations I don’t always have control over. Things can change and escalate quickly, and sometimes you have no choice but to take it as it is and hold yourself back in the process. 

You learn to have the best conversations with yourself 

You become your own entertainment, truly. The number of times I’ve been caught talking to myself is too many. Getting work done at home, grocery shopping, taking walks around the city, and literally everything, I am constantly conversing with Mariam 2.0.

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Well, there ya have it. I could add to the list of what solo travel has taught me, although these have been the most powerful and remarkable realizations as of now. As my journey of travel continues to expand in various directions, I can only imagine how much I’ll emotionally and mentally expand.

Here’s to living boundlessly, in faith, travel, and life.

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