For most of our life, we feel the need to be surrounded by people because the thought of being alone is terrifying. The people closest to us become our security blanket and we need them in all facets of our life, especially when the possibility of facing the unknown becomes all too real. I spent most of my life with this mindset until I started traveling alone and I am so glad I did, because it truly saved my life for the better, and here’s why.

1. You’ll Meet So Many New People

When you travel alone, you’re forced to talk to the new people around you and even if they seem like people you wouldn’t usually associate yourself with, you’ll be surprised at how close you can become. If you remain closed off or guarded, you could miss out on so many incredible friendships. Some of the most remarkable friendships I’ve made are the ones I’ve made while traveling alone.

2. You’ll Have New Experiences

Some of the best experiences I’ve had are the ones I’ve had while traveling alone. When you travel alone, you’re free to do whatever you want, whenever you want. Having new experiences alone isn’t just going places; it’s experiencing different cultures and trying new foods. Having these new experiences will open you up to new possibilities and adventures you didn’t know you could have.

3. You’ll Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

One of the greatest aspects I discovered about traveling alone is it gets you out of your comfort zone. No matter what, I forced myself to say yes to new opportunities and never looked back. With this attitude, I was able to fully break free of my walls and open myself up. Without it, I wouldn’t have met the people I have on my journeys or to be so open to going to new places. After all, great things never came from comfort zones.

4. You’ll Gain Perspective

There’s nothing more liberating than gaining new perspective when you felt like you were so narrow-minded before. Traveling alone has taught me to be more patient, understanding, and open-minded. In doing so, I’ve become more positive and have started seeing life through a new lens.

5. You’ll Learn A lot About Yourself

I always felt like I was pretty well in-tuned with myself but until I started traveling alone, I realized that I didn’t know what my limits really were. Traveling alone made me discover the person that I want to be and helped me to realize and accept the qualities in me that I admire and even the ones that aren’t so admirable.

6. You’ll Gain Independence

There’s no better way to gain independence than to travel alone when you’re young. I’ve always been fortunate enough to have my parents there to help me out whenever I needed it so I never truly understood what it meant to be independent until I traveled alone and I had to ensure that I budgeted, used common sense, and dealt with issues alone.

7. You’ll Learn to Live in the Present

I never truly understood the meaning behind the phrase, “be more present,” until I traveled by myself. But until I had my individual traveling experiences, I finally started to understand what it means. You learn to take it all in, put your phone away, and just be there to soak up the scenery in front of you.

8. You’ll Check Items off Your Bucket List

Before I started traveling alone; I was terrified to explore new opportunities. Because I shed this mindset, I road-tripped to the Grand Canyon, Los Angeles, and had moments from The Hangover in Las Vegas. I checked items off my bucket list and learned to fall in love with places and not just people.

9. You’ll Come Back a New Person

There’s a quote by Johan Lehrer, “When we get home, home is still the same. But something in our mind has been changed, and that changes everything.” Home will always be there, but traveling changes us for the better. We finally see what the world has to offer and it’s the most liberating sensation in life. Traveling alone saved my soul and connected me to the person I’ve always wanted to be.