5 Reasons To Add “Solo Vacation” To Your Bucket List. Now.

Recently, I’ve been hearing a lot of racket about solo vacations and traveling alone. I used to think this was a crazy idea. Yea….no. A trip alone sounded beyond boring….actually downright anxiety-provoking in some aspects. What the heck would I do by myself on a vacation? Not interested.

But also me…. FOMO (fear of missing out) comes very easily. Since I’m also super curious and love to try new things, I went ahead and booked my solo vacation to see what all the fuss was about. Survey says, it was life-changing! I left my vacation with two takeaways: 1- it’s mandatory that everyone do this and 2- before you die.

What made the solo vacation so wonderful?

Ahhh, let me list the ways

1. You can set your own pace. Traveling with family or friends means you exist in a group. At some point, you most likely have to give into the majority, even though you rather do your own thing. Being alone means you can have a plan…or not. Stick to an itinerary…..or not. Spend the day on the run, or sleep the day away. You can be super busy, or a total sloth. And no one cares.

 2. It’s a haven for introverts. For those of us that love to be alone, a solo vacation is a great way to recharge! You don’t have to speak to anyone, you can eat alone, you can sight-see in silence, you can experience all of the beauties of a new place without having to constantly interact with others. You can see the beautiful forest without the trees being in the way.

3. It’s a haven for extroverts. Love meeting new people, conversation, engaging with others? A solo trip will give you exactly that! When you aren’t stuck to a group, you can be free to engage with strangers and be drawn to new social interactions you would normally miss. On my solo trip, random people talked to me and pulled me into great conversation. On my solo strolls, I randomly stopped and engaged with others I wouldn’t have the time of day for had I been with my crew. Being alone opens you up to social situations you don’t even see when you’re preoccupied with people you already know.

4. Worry about yourself. Traveling with groups, friends, or kids means you inevitably have to sacrifice to please others. Your time is not your own. You forfeit your choice in restaurant to please the group. When you’re alone, you can focus on only pleasing yourself every single time. Eat at the same restaurant 3 times in a row if you please. Order in room service and never leave your bed if you want. Drink a glass of wine for breakfast, eat brunch for dinner. Who cares? You answer to no one.

5. The best company is YOU. And don’t let anyone ever tell you differently. Be your own best friend! Explore yourself, your thoughts, and your likes. Traveling alone, I realized that I really like me! When I’m not boggled down with people-pleasing, compromising, hanging with groups or keeping itineraries, I realize I’m pretty fun all by myself. I read, I sat at bars and people-watched, I watched movies, I laughed a lot to no one in particular. The authentic me was great company and I was never lonely! And if you don’t think you’re good company, all the more reason to take this trip and meet yourself.

So now that I’ve convinced you, go ahead and add “solo vacation” to your bucket list, and then make plans to cross that sucker off.

Happy Planning!