After my semester exchange in France I decided on a whim to travel Spain and Portugal alone for one month. This was the best month of my life, and I fell in love with solo travel. Here’s why:
You control EVERYTHING
By yourself, there’s no one to account for or worry about but you. If you want to stay out all night and sleep until noon- no problem! In regards to money, you can lodge and take the transportation that corresponds exactly to your personal budget. You have total freedom to skip out on a certain famous monument that you don’t particularly care to see or on the contrary, stare all day at a random statue if you so choose. Personally, I need a good bit of alone time, and traveling solo allows you to regulate how much time you spend around others. For example, this past trip, after a crazy week in Barcelona, I decided to book a private room in Valencia and just recharge for a day without feeling any guilt or FOMO.
You meet people easily
When you’re tired being alone, it’s easy to meet other travelers. If you stay in a hostel, particularly a small hostel that caters to solo travelers, you will easily make friends. I spent days and nights with the absolute best people on this past trip. A solo traveler is more approachable and travel talk is an easy conversation starter. People will most often be impressed that you’re traveling alone, especially as a female.
You can act on impulse
With all these new people you meet, you are bound to bond with some of them. Maybe you wake up one day and look at your bunk mate and decide to take a spontaneous day trip. You may even meet up with them later on in your trip. In Granada, I met another female solo traveler from Korea who I suspect will remain a lifelong friend. We hit it off, and she decided to continue on to Madrid with me (And luckily- she speaks Spanish)! If I had been traveling with others, we would not have connected as easily.
You can be whoever you want to be
Okay, this one sounds cheesy- but it’s true! You will meet new people every day and no one will be around to shape others’ impressions of you but YOU. You can even make up an elaborate back story about yourself (disclaimer: I’ve never done this) if you so choose to and no one will even bat an eye.
Long Time No See 