16 Benefits of Traveling Alone (things I experience)
Adventure, mystery and a few close shaves. It’s the stuff of movies and lost stories from old books. It’s the stuff of travel.
From solo road trips to hopping across the globe to live in Japan, I’ve been adventuring alone since around 2017.
And had I waited for someone to join me, I never would’ve left.
So this is my experience on the benefits of traveling alone.
Let’s get to it!
Solo Travel Changes You (16 benefits of traveling alone)
I've been hopping between countries and cities for the past few years now. So these ideas stem from my own personal experiences and from the people I’ve met along the way.
I put together this collection of travel traits because they’re mindsets and ways of thinking that have not only been essential for traveling but have stemmed from it as well.
(and helped me get through many of the less-than-Instagrammable moments).
So without further ado, let’s get it!
1. Your Mind Opens
Travel opens your mind. There’s no way around it. Everything is different from what you’re used to: people, culture, money, language, landscapes…
Having an open mind is essential – but not just for travel.
An open mind is really like a modern asset. Embracing new ideas and new ways of thinking while accepting and respecting differences is a true soft skill.
While owning your values has merit, being continually open to learning new ideas and respecting differences is rewarding and an important benefit you’ll get from traveling.
2. You Develop A Growth Mindset
A growth mindset is one that views challenges as opportunities and setbacks as learning moments. Travel makes you growth-oriented.
Simply put, solo travel isn’t always easy. You’ll come across various challenges and obstacles. Having a fixed mindset or reaction to those walls will only create stress.
So travel forces a growth mindset. You’ll start accepting challenges and embrace them with more familiriary. And more importantly, you’ll come to realize that on the other side of that struggle is a reward or some important learning opportunity.
3. You’re More Creative + Curious
Once you embark on your solo travels, you’ll soon realize that you have more questions than answers. But eventually, you’ll be asking questions not out of necessity – or survival – but out of genuine curiosity.
You see, solo travel makes you really good at asking questions and seeking answers (and not feeling dumb about it).
So with travel, you can look forward to unshakable curiosity to know more, see more and understand more.
4. You’re More Optimistic
Traveling alone can get boring – and yea, sometimes lonely. But it’s this isolation of being in a foreign place that can also spark an appreciation and optimism for life.
You learn to adapt, you learn to enjoy and appreciate the little things.
If you stick with it, you’ll overcome negativity and learn to roll with the punches. Things that once annoyed you back home suddenly become more acceptable, and maybe even funny.
Because being pessimistic while traveling is just not a sustainable option. You need to stay positive and see the bright side of things. Travel can be a brutal teacher, but it’s effective.
Recommended: How I Stay Happy-Go-Lucky
5. You Become A Problem Solver
Travel is full of obstacles – big and small. This shouldn’t be something that scares you either. You’d be surprised to learn how resourceful you are when you have no other choice.
And traveling solo forces you to solve all your problems yourself. It’s a master class in problem solving and overcoming difficult situations.
Everything else in life after your stint abroad will feel like a walk in the park.
Because after navigating your way to an AirBnB with a phone at 1% in a city you don’t speak the language in – well let’s just say that other minor nuisances in life suddenly seem much easier.
6. Life Becomes An Adventure
Developing a strong adventure mindset is one of my favorite benefits of solo travel.
An adventure mindset means you’re constantly seeing and seeking new opportunities. It means you’re pushing yourself outside of comfort zones and constantly learning new things.
It means you’re living a life full of good times, new people and fresh experiences. Travel is the segue to this mindset.
Recommended: Scared to Travel Alone? (11 tips)
7. You’re More Confident
Getting butterflies and feeling a bit on edge is normal before heading out on a big solo trip. But trust me, you’ll be better having done it.
The confidence you get overseas and traveling (especially alone) is unique. It’s simply something you cannot replicate if you stay in the same town and do the same things with the same people.
No shame in that – comfort is nice to enjoy sometimes. But the benefits of breaking free, hopping on a plane and getting uncomfortable cannot be understated.
Taking that first step requires a decent amount of confidence in the first place. But from their, each step gets a little lighter.
8. You Meet Inspiring, Lifelong Friends
Travel friends hit different.
Meeting people abroad is amazing. Some of my best friends I met overseas.
It’s different too. Networking and making new friends while traveling is completely different than coworker relationships, old friends from growing up and local bar meetups.
Nothing wrong with those. But your travel buddies, well we’re a different breed. We’re dreamers, adventurers, entrepreneurs with a penchant for life.
Travel can give you some of the best friends and will definitely expand your social circle in exciting ways.
9. You Unlock New Opportunities
Traveling means you’re constantly meeting new people, having new experiences, hearing new ideas and consuming new concepts.
EVentually, you’ll meet the right person or your brain will connect the right dots – and boom, opportunity strikes.
It’s sort of like serendipity. But it also makes sense. Whether I was traveling solo or teaching overseas, I was constantly finding interesting opportunities.
From meeting global business leaders to grassroots documentary filmmakers and traveling engineers, you’re likely to uncover some interesting and unique opportunities while abroad.
After all, you’ll be armed with that open mind by now too.
10. You’re More Self Aware
Self awareness is tricky. It sounds easy, but most of us aren’t actually self aware (I still struggle!).
But travel helps you realize things about yourself you wouldn’t have otherwise known. It forces personalities and choices out of us. We start to understand our strengths, weaknesses and fears more clearly.
And sometimes, those fears (and strengths) aren’t what we thought.
So travel on, and as the saying goes, find yourself.
11. You’re More Empathic
As a solo traveler, you’ll experience a lot. Sometimes, it’s not always pretty.
I’ll never know or understand what it’s like to be Black in America. And I’ll never know what it feels like to have my rights stripped away based on my gender, sexuality or the color of my skin.
But travel does expose you to different ways of thinking, perspectives and cultures. There are plenty of moments you’ll be looked at differently simply because of your skin color, nationality or ethnicity.
Usually these “judgments” are harmless, unnoticed or grounded in innocent curiosity.
But the experience of looking or feeling different and being on the receiving end of a stereotype will boost your perspective and empathy.
Of course, prejudicial experience abroad is different for everyone. And my own experiences will never translate. But travel is a teacher and I’m always trying to learn more, support equity where I can and help spread awareness whenever possible.
Travel broadens perspectives and inspires changemaking. Travel dissolves judgment. Travel bolsters empathy.
12. You Get Smarter
Somebody said travel is the best form of education. I could probably do a quick Google search to figure out who – but no time for that.
It’s true though. The education you receive while globetrotting is second to none.
Whether it’s strengthening your street smarts, speaking in a different language or learning how to do your taxes as a digital nomad, travel is a laudable sensei.
So prepare to boost that already awesome IQ of yours at Solo Travel University.
13. You Become More Patient
There’s a quote by Clifton Fadiman that goes “When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.”
Traveling can be frustrating sometimes. And different cultures do things, well, differently. But patience and a respect for other places will help alleviate things.
Layovers and long haul travels further the need for patience. Becoming more patient is a virtue we could all afford to have.
But travel suppresses our daily hustle habits and hurried behaviors. We tend to accept things as they are and take it slow.
A 5-hour layover at Heathrow Airport followed by a 14 hour flight to Tokyo? OK fine, I’ll bring my MacBook and pump out a couple new articles.
Or maybe mix some music or edit some videos. Hmm, endless options.
Bottom line? Travel often requires patience and acceptance of circumstances. This is a great skill to have in life.
14. You Handle Setbacks + Stress Like A Pro
I don’t do a lot of planning while traveling. But I do know that adventuring around the world means you’ll experience your fair share of setbacks, pivots and plans falling apart.
I think travel forces you to accept things as they are more, and to just go with the flow.
Trying to micromanage every little thing overseas is unsustainable, so your relationship with setbacks and “failed” plans will evolve.
That’s not to say that planning is completely obsolete – but rather, you’ll have a new appreciation for setbacks.
You’ll start seeing those issues as opportunities for spontaneity.
15. Your Resume Looks Better
Companies and leaders know that if you’ve traveled and spent time overseas, you’re more likely to bring unique value and ideas to the table.
Innovation and problem solving is all about our experiences and ability to connect the dots.
Seemingly separate interests, skills and experiences can suddenly overlap with amazing serendipity.
So remember, solo travel offers a lot of professional perks – even if you don’t realize it yet.
16. You’re More Interesting
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to include this one. Because it can sound like I’m alienating people who don’t travel as less interesting.
Of course not.
But there’s no denying that travel makes you a storyteller, a go-getter – the type of person who’s seen the world. It’s inevitable, this will make you more interesting.
And yes, this can sound like a conceited perk, but I say embrace it.
Because it’s the interesting people that inspired me the most. So who knows how your travels and adventures will affect the next person you meet.
You could be inspiring the next badass travel influencer who works to make the world a better place.
Tips for Traveling Alone
Feeling stoked? Nice.
Here are some quick tips for traveling alone!
Take Baby Steps Out of Your Comfort Zone
There’s no rule saying you need to go all in, all at once.
So if you’ve never traveled alone before, it can help to ease into things slowly.
A great way to do this is by practicing discomfort before you leave to a new country.
For example, ease into solo travel life by simply taking more solo trips in your home country. Explore nearby cities or take a solo road trip.
And when you do start hopping on places, choose a destination that’s more “user-friendly”. Japan, for example, is great for first time travelers (it’s safe, convenient and the people are incredibly nice).
So consider your goals and preferences and start pushing your comfort levels slowly. This can be a more sustainable transition for many travelers.
Recommended: How to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
Have A Plan
I’m all for spontaneity — especially with solo adventuring.
But some planning does help a lot (especially if you’re new to traveling alone).
This means researching your destination (for safety, infrastructure, language info), booking good accommodations (I like share houses personally), packing everything you need (visas, essentials, etc.) and figuring out stuff like travel insurance.
Of course, leave room for spontaneous travel, but make sure you’ve planned the most important stuff.
Recommended: International Travel Essentials Checklist
Have A Goal Or A Creative Project
I always have some creative project when I travel.
For example, I’m a traveling musician who likes to blog and make videos. These projects add deeper meaning and purpose to my adventures.
A travel project can lessen the stress of travel and add back some normalcy to your day-to-day life. It solves any lurking questions like “okay, what do now”?
Some other travel projects could be:
Learning the local language
Cooking the local food
Photography
I digress.
So do some brainstorming and come up with a personal travel project to work on.
Set Up An Online Income Stream
Making money while traveling is the dream. And it’s more than possible (it’s what I do).
It just takes some work and patience.
For me, I work remotely in content strategy. I also run this blog (and another) and work on various personal brand projects.
So if you’re keen about the digital nomad life, here are some quick tips:
Learn an in-demand skill (SEO, social media, AI, etc.)
Monetize existing skills or hobbies (photography or filmmaking, writing, etc.)
Find a remote job or freelance work
Consider teaching English online
Learn about investing and personal finance
Have a long-term mindset (it takes time to build a sustainable online income)
Create an online portfolio to showcase your work
Recommended: How to Make Money While Traveling
Want More? Okay. Here’s More.
