As solo travelers, we, alone choose what to do, decide how to respond to situations, and are responsible for our own happiness. We practice these three essential life skills every time we travel solo.
As we navigate our journeys and negotiate what's needed, and do so independently, free from the influence of others, without the help of others, we learn who we really are. How capable we are. What we really want. And how to be absolutely true to ourselves.
As we exercise these skills while traveling we become better at them. We bring them home and are more effective there as well.
Traveling solo can make us better at life at any stage of life. It can be particularly important for those in their 20s and 30s.
Life Skill 1 – Making Decisions
As a solo traveler, you make the decisions of when, where, and how you will travel.
You decide:
- where you go to feed your interests and no one else's.
- how to spend your money, when to splurge and when to go cheap.
- when you will go. I love winter travel in winter, not everyone's cup of tea.
- how to spend each day–when to explore and when to rest. You can sleep in if you want.
- where, when, and what to eat. For the record, dessert can be eaten first!
Read these posts about the kind of decisions and choices solo travelers make.
- How to Choose the Best Destinations for First-Time Solo Travelers
- Best Accommodation for Solo Travelers: How to Choose the One for You
- How to Choose a Tour for Solo Travelers: What You Need to Know
- British Columbia by Train: Budget or Luxury
Life Skill 2 – Managing Responses
When challenges arise, solo travelers respond. Without backup of a companion, that response is important just as our responses to life challenges are important. Practicing them as you travel solo is exercising a skill that is useful at home.
There have been times when traveling solo that I've felt vulnerable and other times that I've been irrationally fearful. In my 20s, traveling solo in Europe, I got caught in a con game but responded well which then formulated my fundamentals of safety. That was a moment of vulnerability. Irrational fear was when taking the bobsled run at Whistler Mountain in British Columbia and riding the zipline at Mont Tremblant in Quebec. Both experiences were frightening but not really dangerous. I had to overcome my fear to have two amazing experiences – and great stories to tell.
Responding well to challenges is an important skill to be developed in life and solo travel can most certainly help one develop the skill and one's confidence in it.
Life Skill 3 – Taking Responsibility
We all depend on family and friends for many things in life. This is natural. But we also have to take responsibility for ourselves – especially our own happiness. During difficult periods of life this can mean relying on Life Skill 2 and choosing how to respond to a situation. But normally, when life is going along well, it means exercising Life Skill 1 and making choices that make us happy.
Traveling solo, you hold the responsibility for your happiness by your decisions and how you respond to challenges.
Read Hate Traveling Alone? Great Tips to Save Your Trip for ways to take responsibility for the success of your trip.
