I don’t know about the rest of you but I find myself spending more time and effort than I’d like in an attempt to coax my friends and family into vacations, from quick and dirty runaway weekends to large-scale international adventures. I’m the queen of making things seems easy as pie, too; I'm constantly checking my favorite internet dating site and at the same time I’m always pre-searching flights and cheap deals across the vacation spectrum.
Because, really, with the amount of access the internet gives us to inexpensive travel options, going places in a way that totally suits our needs has never been easier. But alas, convincing companions and fitting everyone’s schedules and desires together is a task much, much greater than booking any other part of the trip.
Well, who needs ‘em? I say, leave the extra baggage at home and take off on your own vacation, in exactly your own style. You might end up getting more out of it than you think.
You call the shots
From deciding where to visit to picking a hotel, when you are your only traveling companion, it’s your way all the way.
Be adventurous
If you’re on your own, every solo step you take can feel brave. Take this as an opportunity to really branch out; go out to local hangouts and chat up a stranger. If you really throw yourself into the native scene, you might just end up with some new friends, and at the very least, you’ll see or experience some things worth remembering.
Alone time
This is obvious but can’t be overlooked. Time by oneself is one of the greatest luxuries that we never get enough of. It’s not that vacationing with your love or your pals or your family isn’t a sweet, sweet time; the point simply is that everyone needs time alone to recharge their social batteries. And if that time happens to take place on a beach with a margarita being served up by a saucy cabana boy, well, then all the better.
Save money
Flying solo (literally) means you only have one person’s schedule to work around. Say a last minute flight pops up out of nowhere – you can snatch it up if it works for you without check with a bunch of additional companions. Same goes for booking single hotels and smaller (if any) rentals cars. Keeping big groups all together and happy while traveling is an expensive venture. You’ll be amazed how many cost corners you can cut when you go it alone.
Travel often
When you’ve become accustomed to family vacations, college trips with friends, lovers’ getaways, and business group trips, springing off on your own can feel a little unnatural at first. But chances are, once you get used to it, you just might become addicted. This isn’t a bad thing. Developing a hobby of traveling by oneself is a truly useful thing; you’ll see much more of the world much faster.
