But back to the focus on this blog post…

I can only assume you are here because you are heading out on a solo adventure or you are curious about where a solo adventure could take you.

Well, everyone’s experience of solo travel is different, but I’m more than sure there are similarities between what I went through and what other solo travellers go through or can expect to encounter.

(Note: I solo travelled whilst running a full time business, so my experience will most definitely be different to a ‘gap year’ experience. Something to bear in mind.)

Here are the biggest lessons I learnt whilst solo travelling…

1. Getting out of your comfort zone is a positive thing.

Getting out of your comfort zone means you’re probably about to try something new, something exciting or you’re about to be challenged in a way that is going to develop and strengthen you. Embrace growth, embrace uncertainty, and see even fear as a positive thing.

2. Being in a place of struggle shows signs of incredible growth.

Being in a place of struggle means that something isn’t quite right, something needs changing and your body is trying to figure out what it is and how to solve it. Ultimately you’re developing into a stronger version of yourself. Be patient with yourself and trust that the universe ALWAYS falls back into place.

3. Don’t be put off solo travel by loneliness.

Most solo travel articles I’ve seen and read talk about the initial fear of being lonely before you travel. They speak of this feeling totally disappearing as soon as you get on the plane, or as soon as you make your first friend. But they don’t mention the loneliness arriving mid-way through your travels, and not being able to shift it. For me I never ever feared loneliness or thought I would experience it in the way I did. But three months in, it came up and surprised me. This loneliness encouraged me to embark on a new travel experience and to add a plot twist to my trip. I decided I didn’t want to continue exploring the Philippines by myself and so I chose to volunteer, which ended up being the best decision I ever made.

If you get lonely, instead of panicking and booking a flight home, see it as your soul requesting a new path or a different environment. Take some time to listen to yourself and what you might be searching for. Follow whatever that desire is.

4. Trust yourself to make your own decisions.

You are the only one that can make the executive decisions when you’re solo travelling, and sometimes you won’t be sure if the one you’re making is right. You’ll have to make so many spontaneous and random decisions by yourself and through this experience, you will realise that your decisions are never the end of the world. You begin to realise the best choice is usually your gut instinct, and if you need to change your mind or direction at any point after, you can.

5. There’s value in investing more in other people.

When you’re on your own and on the move a lot, the only way you are going to have friends is to make them. The only way you’re going to create those sought after memories is to get out there and create them. If you’re anything like me, I prefer creating memories and sharing them with other people. The simplest of conversations or small talk can lead to a new travel buddy, a new best friend or a new door opening for you.

Open as many doors as possible for yourself. What’s the worst that can happen? You have a nice conversation with someone and you continue on with your day. And the best? THE SKY IS THE LIMIT.

6. You need space and time-out in order to get creative.

If you’re anything like me and come from somewhere where being busy is deemed as being successful, then you will most likely be run off your feet all the time and have very little time to yourself. The times I write the best blog posts, come up with the best ideas and see my visions the clearest, are when I take time out. For me, this is usually up a mountain, on a beach or generally just in the outdoors.

7. It’s important to be selfish sometimes.

If you spend your life doing things for other people and following other people’s dreams, how will you ever know what YOU need? What YOU dream of? What fulfils YOUR NEEDS? Solo travel allows you to make your own decisions and simply do whatever it is that YOU desire. This freedom is just the best. No one to answer to, and no one to make you feel guilty about not doing so.

8. It’s important to spend time by yourself and be honest with yourself.

We are all guilty of masking our emotions and burying our heads in the clouds. Sometimes there are things we don’t want to admit to ourselves and sometimes there may be emotions or situations we are too scared to work through. Solo travel gave me the time to really strip myself down and get to know every corner of myself. I admitted things to myself that I had been covering up and denying. The moment you face everything you are and everything you feel, you have the ability to become the best version of yourself.

9. You have the ability to handle anything.

Solo travel is bound to get you in some situations where you feel challenged, or just in a position, you have never found yourself in before. Through these situations you find solutions. You learn that you will always find solutions and that there are very few situations you can’t deal with in future. This confidence is priceless and will take you to so many incredible places.