Some people get really freaked out at the thought of traveling all alone, while others find comfort in it. Here is a few reasons why everyone should travel alone at some point in their lives.

1. Time for yourself

Life gets hard, it gets stressful and overwhelming at times. This is something we all knew was coming with time, but does that mean we cannot learn to work through it? Planning a vacation every year or two years for yourself is not a bad thing. Go to the beach, leave the country or just give yourself a weekend out of town. Everyone gets their mind off stressors in different ways. Allowing yourself to breath will help you come back ready and stronger than ever. Personally, I enjoy taking a vacation in between school semesters, so I can come back and be fully ready for the new semester. For others, going on an airplane is unrealistic for them, so simply spoiling themselves can help with this ‘me time.’ Go buy that new video game, get your nails done and splurge on the new fishing gear, anything that helps you is important and it is worth it.

2. Gaining Independence

Becoming independent is not something that everyone instantly overcomes. It can take time, energy, and the willpower to actually go off and be on your own. This is a great characteristic to have because once you can travel to another country alone, it feels like you can do anything. It is important to be able to go out and eat a meal alone, after doing so you become more comfortable with yourself. This gives you valuable time to learn about yourself. I recommend keeping a daily journal. This way you are able to look back and read how you were feeling and what you accomplished that day. I have loved becoming more independent as a person because I do not rely on others as much anymore and I have continuously learned new things about myself.

3. Meeting new people

As cliche as it sounds, this is how I have made some of my best friends! These connections and relations will honestly last a lifetime. Hostels are a great way to meet people from all over the world. This is a great way to continue building relationships, and learn about new cultures from all over the world. Backpacking, travel tours and activities are all fun and exciting ways to meet people. It is an easy connect to make because traveling instantly brings people together. We all have that wanderlust feeling in common.

These are three simple reasons on how traveling alone has really helped me grow as a person, especially in my 20's. It takes a lot of courage for someone to leave what they know to visit another culture, however, I can confidently say it will change your life for the better!