Why Solo Travel? Discover the Intrinsic Benefits of Going Alone

Why do people choose to travel solo? This captivating episode provides an in-depth look at the many facets of solo travel and the intrinsic motivations that draw people to explore the world on their own terms. The conversation dives into personal anecdotes, highlighting that the urge to journey alone often stems from the need for self-reflection, recharging, and embracing solitude. With engaging storytelling, you’ll learn how each solo adventure can lead to moments of self-discovery and empower you with newfound confidence and courage. 

Our discussion addresses the deeper ‘whys’ of traveling solo, encouraging listeners to engage in their introspective journeys by asking essential questions about their motivations. Whether it's overcoming fears from past experiences or simply seeking peace of mind, solo travel holds the potential to be a life-altering experience. This episode resonates with anyone contemplating their next adventure, reminding you that taking the plunge into solo travel can unlock a world full of empowerment, creativity, and self-discovery. 

Want to know how solo travel could change your outlook on life?  Book a call with me for one-on-one coaching for solo travel if you want guidance in planning your next solo adventure!

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Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to the joys of solo travel
• 12:00 Deep diving into personal reasons for solo travel
• 36:00 The transformative power of solo adventures

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Wow, I could never do that. How brave. Don't you get lonely? That's amazing. Don't you want to share your experience with someone else? Aren't you afraid why I get often from other women and even people in general, when I share about my solo travels?

Speaker 1: 0:33

And this past week, a new friend sincerely wanted to know why I travel solo, and so in today's episode, we will talk about the why of solo travel. Welcome to Solo Travel Adventures. This is Cheryl Esch, your host and advocate for Solo Adventures. Well, my friends sincerely want to know why I travel alone, and I had many answers and I want to share with you what my reasons are and then get into. You know, obviously you have your reasons, we all have our reasons, so I love to travel solo. And so then, as she got to asking again well, why, why do you want to travel solo? There are some I would say probably top three reasons for me at this point in my life, but I will preface this to say my why has changed, as yours may as well, over the years, and it depends a lot on what season of your life you're in, and I've been traveling solo for several years now. I should preface that to say intentionally traveling solo. There have been times I've traveled solo and maybe it was to meet somebody, or I traveled solo to get somewhere, maybe for a conference by myself. But to intentionally mean to travel solo. That's been happening the last several years for me and besides the fact that I love it, then you ask again well, why do you love it? I love the opportunity to actually be alone.

Speaker 1: 2:14

Surprisingly, I consider myself a little more on the introvert spectrum because if you hear what I do as a job now, I do have an actual another job. Besides doing this lovely podcast, doing my one-on-one travel coaching, I have another part-time job I teach Pilates. I have another part-time job I teach Pilates. So as an instructor, I am feeling like all the time that I am on stage because I am up there, I'm instructing people for hours at a time. Actually, I do hours back to back when I teach my classes. So I'm talking for hours at a time. I'm communicating, I'm connecting with people that are taking the class. I'm trying to find better ways for them to do an exercise. I'm really in tune with other people and particularly their bodies and how they move in space, and I'm walking around talking. So I get a little drained from all of that extroverted kind of position that I have.

Speaker 1: 3:18

So I love to actually be alone, and so solo travel actually offers me that opportunity to be alone. And then the another part of that kind of like part two of my why, as I dig deeper into my why is that? Why, well, being alone actually recharges me, and so going on a solo trip would recharge me, it would give me that opportunity to reflect and really think about things, journal. And then part three, kind of even deeper, is well, I love to, um, can be really cerebral at times, and so doing a solo trip, getting, maybe doing something outside, being in tune with nature, um, really brings it full circle for me in that this is time to, uh, be alone, reflect, um, it is time to be alone, reflect, recharge, as more of an introvert actually, and just enjoy the time, the solitude that I find when I travel solo. So it's not all bad to be alone, folks. I actually really cherish that time. And I think too, when we begin to accept and even love ourselves or understand ourselves, that solo travel can be magical, it can be life giving.

Speaker 1: 4:45

Now there are other reasons to solo travel that come out of that experience and those reasons I gave you, for me specifically, are more intrinsic whys. There could be some external or extrinsic whys of solo travel. A big example that I run across is women are often they've planned this trip, maybe with somebody else, and that person has backed out, and so there they are, they're left actually to do it alone really, maybe not on their terms, but they go anyways, and I applaud them for that, because many have backed out at last minute because their friend couldn't come, or maybe they're in a position where they're tired of waiting for other people to join them and so they do it alone anyways, and that takes courage. But that also might be an extrinsic reason to go, because you're just going to go. Or maybe you have a bucket list of places you want to get to, and so this is part of that, that bucket list. So those, those are not wrong reasons. Those are just different reasons, different whys as to why you are solo traveling.

Speaker 1: 6:08

Now there are some deeper ways to figure out why you want to solo travel and it's kind of this five layer, five question thing. So, as my friend did and I'll use that as an example she asked me why, and my first response was I love to solo travel, which is very vague, right. So then we dug deeper. Well, why do you love to solo travel? So you have to keep asking those why questions? Well, because I like to be alone. It recharges me. Well, why? And as I shared, as an introvert, this is kind of important to me. And then again, well, why is it important for you to, as an introvert, recharge? Well, why, again, is I need that reflection, that time alone with nature and God, and that's kind of a foundational importance for me. And one way to get there is solo travel for me, and that's one way I can find myself in that place where I have that solitude to experience that.

Speaker 1: 7:20

So I would ask yourself you're wise, why do you want to solo travel? And maybe you've never solo traveled. So this is a great opportunity to ask yourself these questions and then keep digging, ask yourself that why five times, or have someone else ask you and you give a response, and you will find that you have gotten to the true meaning of your why. And that's important as you go to plan your trip. Maybe it's your first solo trip, or maybe you have not been intentional about your solo trips in the past, but you want to make them more meaningful, more transformative, and so this would be a way by asking that why, question five times until you get to that deeper meaning for yourself. I encourage you to do that because when we ask the why, that's when our trips become more meaningful, more valuable to us and not just a waste of time or checking off a box I should say, and that is not wrong, and that could be your motivation, is not wrong, and that could be your motivation, and that's okay.

Speaker 1: 8:43

There are other reasons that solo travel is fabulous, and I also shared this with my friend as I was explaining how my travel coaching, my one-on-one travel coaching, helps women who are maybe fearful of traveling solo. Maybe they have something that's holding them back, whether it's, um, a painful breakup, some grief that they have not been dealing with, and so they want to take this trip to maybe help process that. Well, I'm here to help. That is what I have been doing. Uh, lately I've been doing some one-on-one travel coaching, and so I shared with her the why I felt it was important for my clients to get to do a solo trip and to discover their why.

Speaker 1: 9:26

Once they discover their why and they take that solo trip, the things that come out of this solo trip. Besides, everybody has had a transformative experience because of it, but there are other little nuggets of things that have developed on this solo trip. One thing I've seen come out of someone venturing out maybe on their first solo trip is, first of all, they develop courage. Courage to maybe even just take that step or book that flight that they've been holding back on, or go anyways, despite maybe a friend backing out on them. So courage. Then they build confidence because they've taken that step, and they build confidence during their solo trip.

Speaker 1: 10:18

As to I can do this by myself, I can don't need anybody else, I can handle this. Or, thirdly, you get, you develop some problem solving skills. You have to do this on your own, so you have to figure things out, so you become resilient, and so these are some wonderful traits that come out of taking that solo trip and also making sure it is intentional. And so if you struggle with potentially wanting to take the solo trip or maybe you've taken some in the past and you have felt empty because they haven't had any meaning to you, I encourage you to book a call with me and see if one-on-one travel coaching is for you and if it could help you get to that next step, get to that solo trip, or make your next solo trip more transformative, more meaningful for you.

Speaker 1: 11:18

We've based all of our sessions on your needs you as my client, as your needs, and I want to get you past those hurdles. I want you to develop courage, I want you to develop these intrinsic skills that you just never knew would come out of doing a solo trip, and we'll dig deep into developing your why and intention for your trip. So if that is you and you want to take that leap, you want to book your first solo trip and you're not sure how to get past that hurdle of fear, please book a call with me. There's a link in the show notes for you to schedule one on my calendar. Well, I'm even more so encouraging you to get out there and have those solo adventures. My sisters,