The Case for Solo Travel
Late this past summer, I was gifted with that rarest of gifts: a hole in my calendar.
No meetings, no calls, and- gasp!- no family in the house. What’s a man to do???
I went through the regular list of chores: stain the deck, finish the trim on the kitchen remodel, close that old bank account, blah, blah blah.
Instead, I drove.
With a 5 day blank space on the calendar and a hybrid engine with which to explore the map, my only criteria was that I’d like to see some open water. Other than that, I had no idea where I was headed.
So I drove. Far.
Initially I thought I’d head to the Mid-Atlantic, maybe do some museum hopping in D.C. Instead, I found myself heading north. After 20+ hours of driving, I was setting up camp… in Maine!
Perk #1: Solo travelers are free to change their minds. It’s impossible to take a “wrong” turn, choose the wrong campground or hotel, or eat the wrong meal. Follow your folly, indeed.
As I drove, I found myself “zoning out” for long stretches at a time. I mean, have you ever driven across Ohio? Pennsylvania? Then you know what I mean.
Go ahead, have the root beer.
Perk 2: Solitude. Audio books that aren’t the 37th listening to “The Little Mermaid,” or “Dory Fantasmagory.” Time to catch up on those personal development books and podcasts without interruption.
Personally, I do my best thinking when I’m able to disconnect from daily tasks and just marinate on new ideas. A long drive or a few days of solo hiking fits the bill perfectly. Really, how often are we left to our own thoughts these days?
Perk 3: YOLO? Nah, YOYO.
You’re on your own. Our work here and over at Crooked Trail Coaching stresses the importance of self-reliance over self-esteem. Self- reliance is durable, malleable, ie. built through routine, and foundational. Without self- reliance, self-esteem is tenuous at best.
Traveling alone requires us to make all the decisions and accept all of the consequences of those decisions. If camping alone, we practice and refine skills that literally keep us alive. How often do we get to do that in our day to day routine?
Perk 4: Solo travel compels us to interact with strangers.
Unless you are backpacking solo (and even then there’s the travel, gas stations, grocery stores, etc), you will almost certainly come into contact with strangers on a solo trip. What an amazing gift in this day and age!
And the cool thing is, it really doesn’t take much work. People don’t like to see other people eating alone. On just this trip, I was approached at 3 different meals by strangers asking how my day was going while sitting down for a meal.
It’s so easy to live in a silo- surrounded by people who think and look like us. Getting out alone reminds us that there is a great big world out there, full of interesting people.
Swim break in the middle of a hike? Go for it!
Perk 5: You can be selfish, guilt free.
After all, it’s your trip. Wanna spend all day reading in a hammock?
Do it.
Sleeping in today?
Have at it.
Two desserts and extra coffee.
That’s living!
On a solo trip, “want to” is a good enough reason. It’s a time to rest, relax, and recharge. Much like the oxygen mask on a plane, take care of yourself, so that you are better able to show up for others. I think a few days alone fits that bill quite nicely.
