What traveling alone teaches us about ourselves is a deeper process that makes more sense once it’s experienced. It might seem uninteresting at first until you try it, and then you discover a whole new world. Of course, you want to take precautions to be safe, but it’s something you’ll want to fit in at least once in your life. Here is what traveling alone has taught me.
What Traveling Alone Teaches Us About Ourselves
Our Level of Independence
When you face something new or bigger, you feel stronger, safer, and more secure to have someone by your side. However, setting out on your own to tackle the same type of experience makes you deal with it alone. This makes you realize what level of independence you have. Whatever level you’re at isn’t bad. However, it’s nice to challenge yourself and step out of your comfort zone. This helps you grow in more ways than one.
Hidden Fears
Sometimes, we have fears we never knew we had until we experienced something new and different. Isn’t it crazy to discover that something scared you and you had no clue? It’s almost like dating yourself and diving deeper into the details of who you are. Discovering our fears helps us better manage ourselves, our reactions, and helps us even prepare for less stress and fear in the future.
How Much We Love the Company of Certain People
You never realize how much you appreciate the company of certain people until they’re not there with you. We can take advantage of those people who are always next to us during all those big moments in our lives. Being separated from those people during a new, stressful, yet fun experience makes you appreciate them a lot more.
Who We Consider Trustworthy Friends
When we’re in a scary or new situation where we feel vulnerable, our mind automatically gravitates toward those people, places, or things that make us feel safe. Sometimes, out of obligation, we may feel like we know what comforts us. However, not until those obligations are removed from the front of our minds might we realize that there are other people in our lives that we wholeheartedly trust.
Getting Past Our Guard
Most of us are great at putting up a wall towards other people, and at the same time, inadvertently blocking ourselves from realizing certain aspects of who we are. When our guard is dropped, we’re able to be honest with ourselves and open up a bit more with other people as well. This often takes times when we’re vulnerable and devoting our attention to something, so much so, that we don’t worry about the wall. In these moments, our subconscious gets to work overtime, and certain information we didn’t realize comes to light. I can’t tell you what those details might be, but if they start flowing, let it happen. When your focus isn’t on a partner or friend, and it’s focused on just you and what you’re experiencing, it’s the perfect time to explore your true, raw self.
As stated earlier, you’ll want to ensure you’re safe when traveling alone. However, there’s no end to what traveling alone teaches us about ourselves.
