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Why You Should Travel Alone
Should I travel alone or should I invite someone else? This is a question that you have asked yourself maybe once. There are many pros and cons of traveling with your friends or family, but why travel alone?
If you are not sure about what to do, if you have a beautiful place to visit but you do not know if you should go by your own or with another person, here you will find important information related to why you should travel alone. So, enjoy this trip and let’s start!
The Advantages of Traveling Alone
It Changes Your Mind & Life
Traveling alone helps you to connect with yourself. There will not be anyone else to talk and listen to but yourself, at least most of the time. You will also experience things differently because you will not have someone to support you.
It will give you independence and you eventually will judge less so it will lead you to tolerance.
You may be afraid at first. But do not worry! It is normal. Changes generate fear and anxiety, but this new experience will nourish your soul and mind. Embrace the new places and the new people with an open attitude and kindness and you are going to be fine.
It Frees You
When you are alone, you can do whatever you want to do and whenever you want to do it. This is very different when we travel with other people, either family or friends. We usually make a plan and we try to stick to it for the sake of the trip harmony.
When traveling alone, you may also have a plan, but let’s face it, you will not suffer if you don’t accomplish every part of it. Besides, when you travel alone, you will only do what you really want to do. In this way, not only you will have more time, but also you will focus on what is really important for you and your trip is going to be awesome.
It Makes You More Socialable
It seems a little paradoxical, but it does happen. When you travel accompanied, you put an imaginary barrier between you and the unknown people. In fact, this is a big disadvantage of traveling in big groups.
When you travel with other persons, you and your family/friends automatically make a sort of bubble that prevents third parties from approaching you. It is easier to make the first contact with one person than several.
Actually, this is the best part of the whole adventure. Traveling is about knowing and learning about a new culture, not only a place. Therefore, being alone makes you more approachable and attractive. Take that as a tool to improve your travel experience and nourish your soul. You do not know if your next best friend or soul mate is waiting for you in that new place!
How To Travel Alone For The First Time
If you feel anxious only thinking of taking a plane by yourself; just relax. It is fine. Here you will find some tips to follow and leave that unnecessary fear under lock and key.
Be Prepared When Traveling Alone
If you are a beginner, you must get some relevant information from traveling guides or websites related to your desired destination and what to do there. In those guides and website, you can not only find good information about but you can also find some advice from others travelers that will help you to make a decision on how long is going to be the trip, how many places you will visit and some other important aspects.
Another thing you could do is to make a personal draft with which you can schedule the activities you will do during the trip. Independently of how many activities you want to do, do not forget to take a day for rest.
It is really important as you will need to recover energy from time to time. Make some reservations first. Arriving at a place without any means of transportation or lodging reserve could bring some troubles.
Moving around in a place that you do not know is complicated because you could waste valuable time finding the right direction. The same thing occurs when arriving at a hotel with an overbooking status; you will not feel comfortable at all.
Be Nice & Respectful
You always have to be positive when traveling alone. Any single trip could bring some difficulties, it is totally normal. Just trust yourself and believe in the possibility of accomplishing any challenge, instead of focusing on the negative aspects. You could invest your time taking photos, trying new local dishes or just enjoy the beautiful landscapes around.
Remember you are the visitor, not the resident. Your attitude will determine the feeling of the trip. Be kind to everybody; always smile, especially when you need to ask something. Be thankful when you receive something and avoid any racist, xenophobic, or derogatory comment. Try to learn some useful sentences in the foreign language. The locals will appreciate this and they will be more willing to help you or be your friend.
Also, you must take care of the place you visit not only by respecting its rules but also by speaking well of the site and its people, at least until you leave that place. Even when you decided to travel alone, there will be moments that deserve to be shared, either virtually or physically. Keep in touch with your family or friends. Send them a video or go vintage and send a beautiful postcard.
What Are The Pros & Cons of Traveling in Big Groups?
Advantages of Traveling in Big Groups
One of the main advantages is that you will never get bored. When traveling in big groups you will have the opportunity to share a lot of experiences and those moments that make a friendship special. Particularly when you have no idea of what to do first or later. You can ask the group in order to have a plan.
Remember that two (or more) heads are better than one. Sometimes you just need to have a conversation with somebody that you feel comfortable talking with.
Traveling is an adventure and it could be funnier if you do it in big groups, especially if you have the same likes or dislikes. It is just impossible to do not have a good time if you play the same sports or you enjoy visiting the same kind of places.
While traveling in big groups any circumstance is the best excuse to have a party all day long. Another positive aspect to keep in mind when you travel in big groups could be the support from your partners. For many people feel that you can count on someone, when it is necessary, is very important.
On a side note, when you go abroad, you have to consider that you can get ill in any sudden time and you will probably need somebody to take care of you. If you are a traveler and at the same time you are looking to save some money, traveling in groups is the best option. Basics things like sharing a taxi or paying the bill in a restaurant it is simply cheaper than traveling alone. Shows, museums, hotels and others places often give a discount for groups.
Disadvantages of Traveling in Big Groups
When you travel in big groups and there is at least one member that has different likes or controversial points of view, it is almost impossible to plan something or to make a decision. This one person is well known for just eating specific things or hating photos. Here is when you start thinking that maybe traveling alone is a better idea.
When you travel in big groups it is necessary to share bedrooms in order to save money, but unfortunately, sometimes your roommate has bad habits and suddenly it seems that you are going to have a long and uncomfortable night.
When you are traveling you try to take advantage of the all the time available in order to do a lot of things. Yet there is someone in the group that waste valuable hours getting dressed or likes to sleep in late. Once again you might consider that traveling alone might have been the better choice.
Good & Bad Things About Traveling With Friends
Advantages of Traveling With Friends
Every single trip is unique by itself and if you share it with your best friends; it turns even more special. Food, lodging and any mean of transport are delightful if you have good company. You can take photos or record videos in any place just to collect anecdotes for your entire life.
Traveling gives you a great opportunity to connect even closer to your friends. The advantage is represented by recreating the experiences that put you together as friends.
Traveling with friends has the guarantee that you will never stop enjoying and laughing. Definitely, the best thing about traveling with friends is working as a team because every single person has different skills.
For example, while someone is in charge of everything related to food and others things you could need when you are going abroad, the other can deal with the possible destinations with the routes included. A good trip abroad together with friends can create a very close bond.
Disadvantages of Traveling With Friends
Planning a trip together with a friend can possibly end up in not going abroad at all as you simply cannot come to an agreement. During the trip maybe you want to go to that one specific place or just stay in a single place to have a relaxing moment, but if you go with friends you will not decide it by yourself and probably you will end up doing something which is not to your liking.
You may have arguments or even fights that can turn the environment a little bit awkward and that could possibly be the end of a friendship as a consequence.
Just when you think that the trip is awesome and everybody is doing great, there is always someone that is dissatisfied and making bad comments or refusing things that should have been done. Of course, those are that kind of things that you do not want to hear when you are traveling. Not knowing your friends well enough can turn into a complete chaos.
Budget planning can interfere in a bad way as hotel booking, flights or any other bills are not equally shared. That could be the beginning of a conflict that will make you regret the fact of traveling with friends.
The Experience of Traveling Alone
Traveling alone has become a trending activity nowadays. It opens up the whole world while you are finding the true yourself in the adventure. First of all, you have the opportunity of getting to know different people. Additionally, you will open yourself to the chance of doing things that most likely you would not have done while traveling in groups.
In fact, it is a big challenge because when you are alone you have to learn how to deal with those hard situations that could happen at any specific moment. This experience will make you stronger. It will give you confidence. It will give you something to tell your (grand)children. No one was judging you for any decision you have made. You did not have to give any explanation for why you wanted to go there or why you wanted to that.
Remember that love is everywhere and probably at your next stop there will be someone waiting for you. You will not know it until you get there. Keep in mind that in the process of finding yourself, you could find someone that shares the same likes, goals or even dreams.
You might become best friends for life or maybe even the loveliest partner for life. By traveling alone for the first time, you will be full of prejudices, fears and insecurities. You will come back as a greater person.
