In May 2016, instead of going on spring break with friends and spending a week of partying, I decided to travel to Costa Rica by myself. I specifically picked an area that wasn’t flooded with tourists as well. I had slight expectations of things I would do, experiences I would have, and food I would eat, but it didn’t even come close to what actually happened. I don’t speak Spanish fluently, I have not done extensive travel before this (especially by myself), and I rented a tree house to stay in for the week. Everything about this adventure was completely foreign and exciting to me and that was the point. Here is a list of things I discovered that I believe will motivate you to do your own solo adventure:

1. One of the first things that you will learn if you decide to take a solo journey is how to truly be alone (and be happy doing so). Many of us are so dependent on things or people in our life that we don’t truly know how to be happy by ourselves. I live alone in New Orleans and have done so for the past two years, but being in a foreign country solo took things to the next level. There was no option to call friends, family, or anyone for that matter to help. I had to adapt to the new situation on my own.
2. This leads me to my next point that you can only grow outside of your comfort zone. It can be easy to stay within our comfort zone in our daily lives. By traveling solo, you are forced to do things you normally would never do and that may seem scary. If it scares you, you should do it. I cannot even being to describe how amazing it feels to realize how much you can accomplish on your own. I had to learn a new language in order to get around and meet new people. I learned how to surf, which is now one of my favorite activities. I jumped off of a waterfall even though I am scared of heights. I navigated a foreign country completely on my own. Lastly, I learned how to be present in each and every moment. I even bought a bracelet to remind myself to stay present back home. By going outside my comfort zone, I learned new skills. The point is that I never would have learned these things by staying inside my comfort zone back home.
3. As human beings, we tend to be extremely fallible and take things for granted, which is totally normal. My solo trip made me realize what is truly important. I am a pretty simple person, meaning I don’t need very much. Of course, I have a big vision for my future and myself, but I have never really been a materialistic person. That being said, this trip still painted a very specific picture of who and what is truly important to me. Certain people popped up in my head, my vision for the work I want to do became even clearer, and the experiences I want to have before I die came to mind as well. This life is short. This trip made me realize that I don’t want to waste anytime making my vision become a reality, spending time with loved ones, chasing adventure, and living my life with passion.
4. Every time I travel, no matter how big or small of a trip, my worldview and perspective of home changes in some way. So far, most of the places I have travelled to have been “underdeveloped” areas. This has made me more grateful for the things and opportunities that I have. Right now I am writing this article from an air-conditioned coffee shop. I have seen places where people don’t even have access to fresh water, quality food, or proper healthcare. I am very blessed. Whenever I am upset, I try to remember that things can be much worse and that my bad day is nothing compared to what others endure. The way your perspective changes may be totally different than mine, but it is something that I think all solo travelers experience on some level.
5. I never really slept in during the trip, but I also never set an alarm either. Where I slept was open to the outdoors and I had a view of the ocean, so my internal clock was really in tune with the sun. I would wake up around 5am and start getting tired as soon as the sun started to go down. Although I never really slept in, it was still nice to be on my own time and do exactly what I wanted to do at every moment of the trip. This may seem selfish, but it's okay to be selfish at times. This also means that there is no drama or conflict with other people based on trying to decide what to do.
6. I learned so much about myself. This is something that I really don’t think we spend enough time on as individuals. I learned a lot about my strengths and weaknesses. Being more self-aware gives us the ability to navigate the world much more clearly.
7. This wasn’t something I was really expecting, but it is so much easier to meet new people and make friends. The reason you are traveling gives a great topic of conversation and your current destination gives you something in common with other travelers that cross your path. I am a naturally introverted person, but I made a lot of friends on this trip from all over. I even plan on seeing some of these people again in the near future.
8. The amount of confidence I gained during this adventure is amazing. I carry myself so much differently. Like I said before, you can only grow outside your comfort zone. By doing and experiencing so many different things you never thought possible, it will make you realize how much is truly possible.
9. Research shows that travel and being in new places increases creativity. You can even do this on a smaller scale by taking a different route on your daily commute or visiting a part of your town that you don’t normally go to. Next time you are somewhere new, pay attention to how much more present you are in that moment. Being in a new environment forces you to be present and to take everything in, versus just idly walking by and not noticing the beauty around you.
10. You will find a peace within yourself that honestly I cannot describe. On my last night, I decided to lie on this huge log and look up at the stars on the beach. I completely zoned out. The beauty of my surroundings and the sound of the waves just brought me to a very Zen state (as hippy as that sounds). Nothing else in the world mattered except for the beauty of that moment. Then, because it was low tide, I walked out to the ocean. It felt like I was walking on the bottom of the ocean. I am doing my best to describe my experience (I swear I wasn’t on drugs), but this is something you are just going to have to experience for yourself. This moment made me feel so small, in that I am part of something much bigger than myself. There is a huge world out there filled with so many different people and experiences. I don’t know how one can truly know them until they get to know other cultures and people. It really helps strip your stereotypes and predispositions of others. I met people from all walks of life that I would have never met before. Everyone has his or her own story. It’s true that you really shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

As much as I love my friends, I am so glad I decided to go on this trip rather than doing the typical spring break shenanigans. The experiences I had, friends I made, and things I learned will go with me for the rest of my life. I will never forget these experiences. I challenge you to pick a destination and make it happen. You will never regret it.

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