Benefits of Traveling Solo

3/7/2020

Travel

I've always liked to spend time walking around, visiting old and discovering new places. But since I started working, I haven't had much time. When I do, I mostly spend it with my family to make up for the times I missed because of work. This is probably my first time traveling alone in 14 years.

Although I like to spend time with my family during off days, going solo once in a while definitely has its benefits too. So, what did I get out of it?

1. Spontaneity

Although having an itinerary is advisable, you get to decide to sidetrack on places you randomly saw along the highway; or just visit another random place you searched from google "places to visit when in (insert name of town or province)". I'm not advising you to go off the road on a randomly unsafe place. I'm talking about places you may find on a trustworthy website list while browsing your phone during lunch. It makes your travel experience more flavorful.

2. Chat with the locals

I'm not a chatty person but during my solo travel, I get to talk to more random people that day than any other days of my life. I do pick the people I talked to especially when asking for directions and other places to visit, but when I was riding the boat with its owner, I get to talk about a lot of my past and current working experiences (ehem, complaints, ehem) without worrying my comments will get to that person I'm talking about and misunderstand me.

3. Experience it like a local

Throughout my two days of travel, I only hailed a cab once, and that's because jeepneys don't go there. I also get to stay on places I visit as long as I wanted without constantly searching for the tour guide or worrying that the bus may leave me anytime while trying to appreciate the view.

4. Test your limits

My legs are weak due to a couple of operations I had and they were literally shaking while I was trekking uphill and downhill on my way to Bahong Flower Farms. I didn't expect I'd last more that thirty minutes but I did. It's one of my proudest moment.

5. Self discovery

Knowing I had nothing to worry about and nobody to rely on but myself in a place I'm not very familiar with makes me more attentive about the things that I want to spend my time with other than just sleeping and watching movies. On a normal day, my life revolves around work, home and school but for two days, I get to take charge of my time with a blank slate and learn about what I really want for myself and the things that makes me happy.

In the past, I sometimes felt guilty when I go out alone because, like a mentioned earlier, I don't get to spend much time with my family due to work but now I don't think I'd ever feel that way again.

-Aisiah Ezekyel

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