Solo travel has changed my life. I’m not putting that lightly. Although I’ve only gone on a few solo trips, there are infinite lessons and lifelong memories from those journeys. 

I’ve been to Brussels, London, Paris, Rome, Lisbon, Porto, Madrid, and probably a few other European cities that I’m forgetting to mention – solo. 

In one of those cities, I had my first adult friendship ‘breakup,’ which was difficult to deal with at the time, but it taught me that friendships come and go, and people who you think will be with you throughout your life may have a different destiny than you. 

In another city, I learned the value of being alone and enjoying your own presence. Even though I mostly stayed at hostels and met people every day, there were quite a few times when I was alone during the day. You need to learn how to enjoy your own company because, at the end of the day, the only person who will be with you throughout your life is yourself. 

In June 2022, I took the leap of faith and moved to London alone without knowing anyone. I chose to move there, but in a sense, I had to do it out of necessity. 

So, this article will be about how solo travel changed my life, why I decided to take the leap and do it, some of the lessons I’ve learned along the way, and why you should solo travel, too. 

In this post and all others on my blog, I’m aiming to be a bit more personal and share some of the finer details and other aspects of travel that you might not find on regular travel blogs. Sit back and enjoy the ride, but I hope you find some tips, inspiration, and motivation from what I say. 

Although I’ve only listed a few destinations where I’ve traveled alone, I’ve been to many more places across Europe and Central America with friends and family. I’ve only just gotten a taste of travel, and I have many plans for the near future. The world is calling me, and I’m going to discover it. 

Why (and How) Did I Start Traveling Solo?

The thought of traveling solo to a foreign country, or even a new city in your country, can be scary and nerve-wracking. Trust me, I’ve been there. 

The most important takeaway is that when you travel solo, you won’t be alone. As long as you make an effort – however minimal that may be – to meet people, you’ll never be completely alone. Staying in hostels, doing volunteer exchanges, or joining Meetup groups are all great ways to meet fellow travelers – but we’ll get into that later. 

So, what’s my story? How did I start traveling solo, and why did I decide to do it? It’s a bit of a long one, but I’ll try to simplify it for you. 

At the beginning of 2022, I was a completely different person from who I am now. I’ve changed A LOT in just two years and owe it all to travel.

Back then, I was living in a studio apartment in Toronto, Canada. I was in a toxic, on-and-off-again relationship with the person I thought was “the one.” I had few friends, didn’t like to go out much, and was very shy to the point where I couldn’t go up to a stranger and ask for something as simple as the time. 

The Grand Plan

My parents and younger sister lived in a condo on the other side of the city, and I’d see them from time to time. One day, my mom announced this grand plan they had—they were going to get rid of all their stuff, sell their condo, and move to Nicaragua. 

After some convincing from my mom, I decided to go with them. So I sold all my stuff, said my goodbyes, and mentally prepared myself for the long journey ahead (although I had NO IDEA what it would entail). We moved around from place to place in Ontario for the first half of the year, and in May, we started our journey and drove south from Canada all the way to Nicaragua. 

Let me paint the picture for you. We drove for almost 8 hours every day in a cramped car with my parents in the front and me, my sister, and our dog in between us in the back. Not to mention all of our crap in bags in the trunk, beside us, and on top of us.

This journey took about a month and was made difficult by the rough terrain of driving in countries like Honduras and Guatemala, navigating our way in Spanish (a language we barely knew), and being in very close proximity to my family every day. 

We eventually made it after a few setbacks, and I think it’s safe to say that none of us would ever make that journey again. There were so many lessons we’ve learned along the way and advice we’d give others thinking of making that same journey – but I’ll save that for another post. 

Life in Nicaragua

Living in Nicaragua was paradise for my parents. They love it as they live practically on the beach, the weather is always nice, and they’re close to retirement age. It was the opposite, however, for my sister and I. Being 15 and 21 at the time, we had no prospects of life there. With no friends our age, temporary residency, and no job opportunities in Nicaragua, I knew I had to leave. 

I lived there for a month, and I felt trapped. Waking up every day to the same scenery, feeling very isolated, and fighting with my mom was not the kind of life I wanted to live. So I decided to leave, even though I’d never traveled alone. 

I was consuming all the TikToks, IG Reels, and information about solo travel. I knew that to get out of feeling trapped all the time and to become the person I knew I could be; I had to take the leap—no matter what. 

The Beginning of My Solo Travels

For my first destination, I decided to go to Paris, the city I’d been dreaming about my entire life. So I got ready, packed my bags, and left. Flying out of Managua airport was the first time I’d ever been on a plane (that I can remember), the first time I’d traveled solo and the first time I’d been anywhere outside the Americas.

There were a lot of firsts. It was good and bad, and I’ve learned way more than I ever thought was possible. 

To put it simply, I had the WORST time in Paris. I was not prepared and didn’t know what to expect. But it turned out fine in the end, as I’ve come away from that experience with tons of knowledge, lessons, and memories. I now know what to do (and what not to do) when traveling solo, especially in Paris. 

After Paris, I went to London, Brussels, and a few other European cities, eventually getting a visa and settling in London for almost two years. 

It’s now coming to the end of my time in London, and while it’ll be sad to say goodbye to my friends and the city I’ve called home for the past year and a half, I’m very much looking forward to my next adventures. 

All of that pretty much sums up my journey and how I got started solo traveling. It truly did change me as a person—I’m no longer that shy, scared introvert who had been nowhere and done nothing. I’m now a person who’s okay with being alone but loves meeting new people. I tell it like it is, don’t let people drag me down, and welcome the adventure. 

I’ve come away from these few solo travels with a new lust for adventure and seeing the world. There’s so much out there, and I’ve only just touched the tip of the iceberg. 

My Perspective on Solo Travel

Every time I solo travel, I learn so much about myself, the world, and everyone around me. I discover who I am and who I could be. I also love hearing about fellow travelers’ experiences, lives, and lessons they’ve learned. 

A TikTok I saw that had a huge impact on me essentially said this about solo travel, and I could not agree more: you’re a blank page, free to write your own story for the first time. You’re disconnected from the world, its ideals, and this ‘box’ you put yourself in. 

Every time I travel, I feel like I become one percent closer to the person I’m meant to be. Every experience changes me; no matter what happens, it’s all for the better. Even if I may have lost someone close to me on a trip, and it’s tough in the moment, it’s for the best in the end. It’s character development. 

A saying I live by is, “Do it for the plot.” That’s how I decided to live my life, as you’re the main character in your own story. If you don’t do it for the plot, what are you living for? 

Some of the Greatest Lessons I’ve Learned From Solo Travel

This is a condensed version of what I wrote in my other blog post about some of the greatest lessons I’ve learned from traveling solo.

It’s funny how much I’ve learned in just a few trips. Below are some of the most profound lessons I’ve learned, but by far the greatest one is that it’s not about the destination or the things you do on your trip, it’s more about the journey and the people you meet along the way. 

When I think back to my favourite trips, I think about the memories I’ve made with the people I’ve met rather than the places we went to eat or the monuments we visited. 

Here are six of the biggest takeaways I’ve learned from my time traveling solo:

You learn to become okay with your own company.

You’ll be on your own for at least some parts of the trip, even if you meet other travelers. Being alone and being okay with your own company is one of the greatest abilities you can have. Traveling alone gives you the skills to navigate, make important decisions, and do things you never thought you could do by yourself. 

Even though you travel solo, you’re never really alone.

This contradicts my point above, but what I mean by this is that you’ll meet other travelers along the way, especially if you’re staying at a hostel (which I highly recommend!) or doing a work exchange trip.

Even if you’re completely okay with your own company, it doesn’t hurt to be social every once in a while and do activities with other solo travelers. I can honestly say that the best times I’ve had while traveling have been with other people I’ve met. 

In my opinion, the absolute BEST way to meet other travelers is by staying in hostels. I recommend using Hostelworld to book all of your hostel stays! You also get access to linkups and chats in the city you’re visiting.

You are capable of so much more than you think.

Traveling alone forces you to step out of your comfort zone. You will likely be hit with difficult situations you didn’t think you’d find yourself in, like your phone dying and getting lost in a city, missing your flight, or getting stranded in the middle of nowhere because you took the wrong bus and fell asleep.

Since you’re alone, you are the only person who can resolve the situation – but I promise you will. There is always a way out of every situation; when you’re out of it, you’ll come away from those experiences as a much more knowledgeable, braver person. 

You choose your adventure.

You get to decide every part of your trip and prioritize doing what interests you most since you’re not with anyone else. This can make trips so fun, as you’re not dragged down by people who want to do different things than you.

Let’s say you’re more of a foodie than your friends. On your own, you go anywhere and try anything you want without your friends nagging you to go somewhere else. 

Travel burnout is real.

If you travel for long stretches at a time, you’ll likely experience burnout. This makes so much sense, especially if you love adventure and don’t want to miss a thing while exploring a new place. You’re up early, doing activities and walking way more than at home, and you’re constantly doing things. This will eventually tire you out, and your body will force you to take a day to relax.

Sometimes, it’s a great idea to check into a hotel for a night if you’ve been staying in hostels the entire time. They are great, but they’re full of people, and if your social battery is drained, think about getting a hotel room just for yourself for a night or two.

Don’t have everything planned in advance.

You should have a general idea of where you want to go and what you want to do while you’re there, but don’t plan an entire itinerary. Plans will inevitably change as you meet new people and experience staying in different places.

You may meet some people and decide to take a trip with them for a few days, or you may end up falling in love with the place you’re in and decide to extend your stay for a few days. Anything is possible, so keep your options open. 

So, what’s the biggest takeaway from all of this?

Just go for it! 

It can be scary to take the leap and book that trip, but I’m telling you, it’s worth it. The worst that’ll happen is you have a terrible time and don’t enjoy your trip, so you end it early and book a flight home. You’ll have memories from that trip, and you’ll have grown as a person no matter what.

That in and of itself deserves a pat on the back. It’s better to go on that trip and miss home rather than stay where you are and regret not going at all. 

If this entire post hasn’t convinced you that traveling solo isn’t so scary, maybe this will. Stop waiting around for others to do the things you want to do in your life.

Maybe you’re in a situation like I was, feeling trapped where you are, or maybe you want to travel somewhere, but none of your friends are up for it. Take the leap and book that trip–you won’t regret it. Who knows, maybe you’ll come away from your travels with some valuable lessons and a different outlook on life. Anything – and I mean ANYTHING – is possible. 

Are you a solo traveler or are you thinking about taking a solo trip? What’s your story? What are the biggest takeaways you’ve had from your travels? I’d love to get to know you, so introduce yourself in the comments!

Follow me on socials for more travel content!

• Instagram
• TikTok