Solo travel is widely praised for being the most rewarding and empowering experience you will have in your lifetime. When you travel alone, you are living through your own agenda – you can do whatever you want, be super spontaneous or carefully organised, and you are not tied down by other people’s ideas and opinions. Many people end up travelling solo by accident, maybe a friend let them down last minute or a group vacation fell through so they went ahead anyway. What’s interesting is, these people often claim they actually prefer travelling alone now, mainly due to the freedom that comes along with it. Have you ever been on a holiday with friends and when you return you’re utterly exhausted from all of the organising, hour-by-hour planning, and personality clashes? Oftentimes, holiday’s don’t feel like holidays when you have no time alone, too many opinions, people to please and conflicting interests when deciding which activities to squeeze in!
Reconnect and Reflect
Solo travel provides the perfect opportunity to reconnect with yourself. Humans typically have over 50,000 thoughts per day, yes we said per day… that is a LOT of thoughts! With so much going on in our daily lives, it’s no wonder that most of us can’t recall the last time we sat down and had a few minutes to think in peace, disconnect from the internet and connect with ourselves. It’s so important to connect with ourselves without the influence of others in order to understand what we like and dislike, form personal opinions, and to ensure we are living true to ourselves and not just gliding through life on society’s perceptions. Social media provides escapism from the real world when we need it, but it’s also a space full of distorted reality and the impacts of getting hung up on this can be detrimental to our mental health. When travelling alone, many people feel they are much more alert to what’s going on around them. It could be for safety reasons like watching your handbag or making sure you’re following the map correctly or simply gazing out the window on a bus ride rather than having your head stuck in your phone as you would at home. You absorb your surroundings and are focused on the present moment. You will experience the world’s beauty first hand and form your own opinions on what beauty is to you, and after a tiring day exploring – you get to return to your accommodation, relax and reflect on your day.
The meaning of Self Love
Self-love means different things to different people and not everyone’s journey to self-love is the same. Self-love goes way beyond how you look. Although you may love yourself and feel good after just having your makeup and hair done, that doesn’t signify self-love – self-love means still feeling beautiful underneath all of that. Self-love is being appreciative of oneself, it stems from actions that support our physical, spiritual, and psychological growth. Oftentimes, when travelling alone, your mind is often so occupied that you don’t have time for negative self-thoughts and rather than tearing yourself down for how you look in the mirror, you’re proud of yourself for navigating a city all day or hiking a mountain. You grow in confidence when you travel alone as you start to trust your instincts and realise your capabilities.
Solo Travel
Solo-travel teaches us things we may have not known about ourselves, and without the influence of others, our true self is revealed. We grow in confidence, reconnect with our inner self and become more mindful when travelling alone, all of this equates to our self-love success! Travelling will broaden your outlook on life, and what better way to start than with a TEFL qualification! Teach English from anywhere in the world while you fulfil your nomadic lifestyle. Unlock your world of opportunities with The TEFL Academy.
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