Five Things I Learned While Solo-Traveling (And Why You Should Take That Trip!)

When planning my time abroad, I had never thought about the possibility of solo-traveling. I had approached abroad with the goal of visiting as many places as possible, as traveling as much as I can, in order to maximize my time. I wasn't sure how or when I would be able to coordinate all of my trips, I just knew that I wanted to see as much as I could. It was not until I found myself here that I realized many people already had trips planned, and that I wasn't sure if I was able to coordinate everything that I wanted to do with all of my friends, many of whom already had all of their weekends scheduled. I ended up coming to the conclusion that if I waited for someone else to go with me somewhere, I might be waiting forever. There is no "perfect" time to plan a trip, there is only the choice to actually take it! 

I have wanted to visit Italy, and more specifically Florence, for as long as I can remember. I decided that even if my schedule did not align with anyone else's, there was no time like the present! The very first step to solo-traveling is booking the flight and the accommodations, the rest is up to you to figure out! I ended up spending three days in Italy, staying in a hostel in Milan and taking the train up to Lake Como, followed by another train to Florence. My weekend was a whirlwind of trains, ferries, views, and delicious gelato. Being alone gave me a lot of time to reflect on traveling solo and studying abroad overall! I couldn't possible summarize everything that I reflected on or thought about, but here are the top five lessons I learned: 

1. The scariest part of the trip is deciding to take it

   Many people have different opinions about solo-travel. Some swear by it, others think it is pointless. Despite any external input, the very first step will always be the scariest. Because you are truly solo, nobody else can make the decision for you—it is truly up to you! But I found that as soon as my flight was booked, I was confident in my choice! 

   2. You will learn to trust yourself a whole lot more

   It's incredibly daunting to be studying abroad in the first place, nevertheless being somewhere completely new by yourself! You end up having to rely on yourself to find the next train, book that dinner reservation, navigate a confusing city, etc! However, even if this is scary, you are capable! You learn to trust yourself a whole lot more simply by doing, in turn showing yourself that you can!

   3. Being alone doesn't mean you're lonely

   I think a large part of the culture around solo-travel has to do with the idea that being alone is a bad thing. That because you are by yourself you have no friends, or you can't socialize properly. I disagree! I never really felt lonely during my trip because there was so much to see! Moreover, I was able to call and text my friends almost everyday, allowing me to keep my support system while being somewhere new. Being by yourself doesn't ever have to be a bad thing, and you will grow to enjoy your own company!

   4. It isn't always easy, but it is worth it

   I won't lie, there were some moments where I felt stressed or unsure of what was going to happen. When the last train out of Lake Como was delayed by an hour, I worried that I would have to splurge on a hotel room for the night. When I wanted a picture of myself in Florence and had to ask a random stranger to take it, I worried that I might look stupid. However, all of the "hard" parts only made me more grateful for the trip overall. Showing myself that I was able to do the difficult things and navigate complex situations was incredibly rewarding!

   5. There is no "right" way to solo travel

   Solo travel was never something that I understood until I did it myself. I thought that you HAD to make friends with random hostel strangers, or that you had to see EVERYTHING because you were the only one making the schedule. During my time in Italy, I realized that the beauty of solo travel is that there is no right or wrong way to do it! You don't need to wake up early if you don't want to, or you can take a 6am train somewhere if you want to beat the crowd. Gelato twice in a day—sure! The freedom of being somewhere, able to make your own decisions, is just one of the many reasons I advocate for solo travel. 

Overall, solo-travel is inherently one of the most daunting things you can do. There are so many "what-ifs" and unknowns both before and during your trip. A large part of solo-travel is letting go of these, and leaning into your own capacity for exploration. You can do it! You will be grateful for the trip no matter what happens, and will look back fondly on your own ability to navigate and travel. I think that everyone should take at least one solo trip while abroad, and just go for it!