Last winter, when I was traveling solo basically every other week, some people were honestly worried about the status of my relationship. Which kind of stunned me. Even though I totally get it. So today I just wanted to talk a little bit about why I travel solo, even though I’m in a long term relationship.
Daniel and I have been dating for almost 4 years now, and we absolutely love traveling together! BUT, I also travel solo quite a bit.
Why? Because I love it.
In the past few years, I’ve traveled solo to Austria, Belgium, Germany, Iceland, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland. And I’ve had the time of my life.
So here are just a few reasons why I love to travel solo.
1. My boyfriend doesn’t like to travel as often as I do.
As much as I love traveling with Daniel, I’m also straight up obsessed with traveling. And Daniel is… not. Like, he likes it, but not as much as I (obviously) do. So there are a lot of times when I want to go somewhere (like taking a whirlwind weekend trip) and he’s not really interested.
So instead of staying behind when he doesn’t want to go, I just book the trip for myself.
2. I don’t have to wait on anyone.
Just like with Daniel, I love traveling with friends and family. But schedules and budgets are hard to match up, and you can end up waiting years to travel with friends and family.
And I definitely don’t have time for that if I want to see the whole world before I die.
So instead of waiting on someone to want to take a trip with me, I just book it and go on my own.
↠ You might also like: 7 Things I Learned On My First Ever Solo Trip ↞
3. I can jump on deals when I see them.
Again with the waiting… most of the time seriously crazy flight deals don’t last long. And they definitely don’t last long enough to wait to get the go ahead from a hesitant travel partner!
So when I see a deal, I book it (sensing a theme here?). If someone wants to come along, they can book their ticket later. If not, then I’m on my own-and I’m cool with that!
Aside from the ability to jet off whenever I want to, though, there are a load more reasons why I love to travel solo.
4. I love the freedom it gives me.
By far one of the best things about solo travel is that you can do whatever you want! When you’re traveling with other people, you always have to compromise about what you’re going to do, where you’re going to eat, and what time you’re going to get up.
When I travel on my own, I get to choose what I do, what I eat, and what time I get up.
For example, when I travel with other people, I always find myself going to a lot more museums than I would if I were traveling solo. It’s not that I don’t like museums, I do. But going to museums after museum can get really tiring. And honestly, I find that a lot of museums are pretty similar no matter where you are in the world. I would much rather spend an afternoon wandering around a neighborhood or experiencing some weird cultural thing I can’t experience anywhere else in the world than go to a museum – but that’s just me.
When I’m traveling solo, I can do that. When I’m not, I can’t.
5. I can set my own (weird) budget.
When it comes to my travel budget, I tend to do things a bit differently. While I’m always looking for the best deal on accommodation and would rather spend less money in this area and just stay in a hostel, I am willing to splurge on food and experiences. Which is kind of counter to what a lot of people like to do.
For me, the two most important things when I’m traveling are tasting the local specialties and cultural experiences. So I will always spend more money on these two things. Which, sometimes, my travel companions don’t want to do.
Traveling solo lets me spend money on what I want to spend money on, which I love!
6. It makes me more confident.
I am not a confident person. I have always been shy, and I’ve found that when I’m traveling with other people I’ll usually let them take the lead. I force them to ask questions or for directions, and I usually look to them to solve problems.
When I’m traveling on my own, I can’t do this. I have to be the one to ask the questions and solve the problems. Which pushes me out of my comfort zone. And while, yes, this can be seriously scary and frustrating at the time, I’m definitely a better person for it.
7. I get alone time.
I’m a major introvert and spending 24 hours a day with someone–no matter who it is–can get seriously tiring for me! Traveling alone allows me to avoid that, which, I have to admit, I love.
Another great thing about solo travel is that it allows me to recoup after a seriously stressful or intense period of time in my life. Having a few days to myself can be SO refreshing!
8. I get loads of reading done.
Okay, this one is kind of silly, but it’s actually one of my favorite parts of traveling solo! Basically, because I don’t have anyone to talk to during meals, I always bring my Kindle along and get SO MUCH reading done when I’m traveling solo. It’s great!
9. I can take as much time as I want taking photos.
If you know anything about me, it’s that I’m totally obsessed with travel photography. When I’m traveling with other people, they can get annoyed with me constantly stopping to take pictures of seemingly random things, and they definitely don’t want to wait for me to set up my tripod or spend hours at one viewpoint waiting for the perfect lighting!
↠ Read next: How To Take Pictures of Yourself When You’re Traveling Solo ↞
When I travel on my own, though, I can make photography a priority, and spend as much time as I like taking as many photos as I like.
So there you have it: 9 reasons why I like to travel solo. And yes, I’m in a long term, committed relationship. And I will be for the foreseeable future. So no need to worry the next time you see me traveling solo: I’m just having a great time!
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