Did you know that solo travel has been one of the biggest boosts to my confidence in my life? Travelling solo has allowed me to reinvent myself time and time again, to gain self-confidence, body confidence and to feel genuinely proud of the person I am today. It's allowed me to choose the path I have taken, to feel confident that I'm living my dream life and not just the life that was expected of me.
If you dream of travelling the world but have no-one to travel with, this is the blog post for you. It might feel scary, the thought of travelling alone and you might never have left home before. I was you. I was living in the UK with my family post-university, working in a "good job" and in a long-term relationship. I thought that was my life and yet I wanted so much more. Now I've got 10 years of solo travel under my belt, a career in travel and more than I could have dreamed of all those years ago.
Whether you're a naturally confident person, someone who struggles to put themselves out there or a complete introvert, this post will share how solo travel could help to boost your confidence. I've always been a very confident person, but travelling alone has brought out a confidence I never knew I had within me. It allowed me to finally be my true self – not just a co-worker, a girlfriend, a daughter. It helped me create my identify away from the expectations of others, and it's something I'll be forever grateful for.
How Travelling Solo Boosts Your Confidence – Here's where you'll find:
- Does Solo Travel Build Confidence?
- 6 Ways Solo Travel Builds Your Confidence
- What is the Average Age of a Solo Traveller?
- How to be a Confident Solo Traveller?
Does solo travel build confidence?
Solo travel is the biggest confidence builder, it can be a completely transformative experience. Many will turn to solo travel after a break-up to heal a broken heart and it can be the best way to heal your heartache while rediscovering who you are. Regardless of your motivation for trying solo travel, after a life of following a certain path and always holding the weight of expectation it can be the most freeing experience. To suddenly rely on no-one but yourself provides a surge of self-confidence and inner strength as you realise your undeniable self-capability.
Particularly if you are preparing for first time solo travel – it could be the trip that alters your life path, as it once did for me. There's something invigorating about suddenly being in another country, on another continent even, connecting with locals despite the language barrier and learning to survive alone. It creates a silent assuredness that you can cope with anything that is thrown at you, and the realisation that solo travel isn't as scary as you were led to believe.
6 Ways Solo Travel Builds Your Confidence
If you're wondering how exactly solo travel boosts your confidence, here's five ways travelling alone has helped to make me a more confident person:
- When you live in a bikini, you lose a lot of self-consciousness and gain body confidence
- Constantly meeting new people, you realise that people like you simply for being your weird and wonderful self
- When things go wrong in solo travel, but you survive and even thrive, you realise how capable you are
- You meet less experienced travellers and are able to offer them tips, realising how far you have come
- When you look back at the situation that made you try solo travel and see how much you have grown
- You learn your true values and know exactly how you choose to live
What is the average age of a solo traveller?
If you are an older traveller who is nervous to travel solo because you worry it's all 18 year olds, let me reassure you. I started my solo travel journey at 25, I'm now 34 years old and show no signs of stopping. I meet women all over the world who are starting their solo travel journey at 50, 60, 70 and even 80 years old. You are never too old, you might just adapt your travel style so you don't end up in a party hostel full of 18 year olds (or you might like that!) Solo travellers also range in age depending on how easy a destination is to travel – for instance South-East Asia and Australia are full of younger backpackers because they're very accessible for younger travellers. I found that Central and South America were full of older travellers who were more experienced. The main thing is to realise this concept of "age" or "being too old" is mostly just a reflection of society but that doesn't mean it is right. Solo travel should be an opportunity for everyone.
How to be a Confident Solo Traveller?
If you're an aspiring solo traveller, one of the best pieces of advice I can give is not to wait to become a confident solo traveller. If you wait for that day, it will never come. Solo travel is all about throwing yourself in at the deep-end and faking it until you make it. One day you just look round and realise you're no longer faking it, that you're actually the most comfortable outside your comfort zone. Start now – if you haven't started travelling yet, you can start while still at home. When's the last time you did something alone? Take yourself on a coffee date or a solo day out. These small steps are a great way to grow your confidence before the plane even takes off. If you're already travelling, here's five ways you can challenge yourself to become a more confident solo traveller:
- Challenge yourself daily to make the first move and talk to someone new
- Push yourself to connect with the locals & immerse yourself in the local culture
- Try a new activity that scares you or pushes you outside your comfort zone
- If you usually opt for taxis or Uber, try and navigate the public transport system solo
- Choose a destination that is more challenging to travel
Don't forget to check out my solo travel tips and solo travel location guides!
