How has solo travel reshaped my understanding of happiness?

Traveling solo may seem intimidating at first, but it can lead to personal growth and joy. For many, including myself, these journeys transform our understanding of happiness and fulfillment. Solo travel redefined my perspective on my own emotional well-being and my perspective on myself during times of discovering my strengths and having time alone with myself often.

Embracing solitude

The idea of exploring new places alone initially caused me anxiety. But once I embraced the fear head on during my first solo trip, I discovered a sense of freedom. Traveling solo means deciding what to eat, where to go, or when to pause—it's all mine. This independence allowed me to connect with my values and desires more deeply than at any other time in my life. I'm fortunate to have accomplished what I have in life, but traveling solo was the time I could be proud of myself more than ever in life. The influence of my decisions while traveling is on my own desires and gut instinct. The choices are my are my own. Reliability is based on my thoughts, feelings, and trust in myself without the input of others.

Taking quiet moments and choosing to spend time alone journaling about my experiences, reading, and above all, time away from my phone and social media. Mindful moments all over the world gave me clarity about my goals and what truly brings me happiness—something I hadn't had the chance to explore while rushing through life, society, expectations, and the reality of people pleasing others more than myself.

The joy of unexpected encounters

Traveling alone leads to meaningful connections with locals and other travelers. These experiences allow you to share stories and have deep conversations about life, goals, and past experiences. Such discussions can help you organize your thoughts and gain a new perspective on life. They may also offer solutions to worries that feel more significant due to fear or misunderstanding from others.

There have been more life lessons and gratitude than I can count that I've gathered over the last year. The journey has taught me that joy doesn't just come from experiences, but through the shared connections we forge with people along the way. Being in a crowd that is foreign, with outlooks from all over the world, not just the country that I'm visiting, being alone and relying on making new friends as an adult (which can be hard enough as it is!) has empowered me to initiate conversations and create unforgettable memories while pushing my comfort zone and putting trust into the world to guide me.

Discovering new passions

Traveling solo also revealed hidden interests within myself. With no need to accommodate someone else, I explored what genuinely sparked my curiosity.

Learning about the peaceful practice in countries in the East or the slow-paced life of many African countries. I've learned to slow down. In such a fast-paced society, often following a schedule everyday, household chores, and exhaustion in the evening, what are you left with? Having time to focus on new interests and incorporate them into daily life, you realize a new love for activities or way of life that becomes an empowering force in your daily routine. I never thought I would be a person with a morning routine, waking up at 5 a.m. every day, but here I am! Incorporating yoga into my daily life, meditation, journaling, and reading books. All giving myself a slower morning and quiet time to myself to heal my body and mind and educate myself as well.

I recently read a book that noted a study saying that engaging in hobbies can increase happiness by up to 25%. Discovering new passions while traveling solo embraced this concept. Happiness is not just found in doing; it's also in discovering what ignites me and digging deeper into the meaning behind the new experiences I'm having.

Overcoming challenges

Solo travel comes with its challenges; nothing in life is as easy as social media might make it seem, but facing the problems head-on and solving the challenges feels amazing once the crisis is averted! From figuring out solutions to challenges with flights you didn't expect to happen but always possible, my ATM card not working and being stranded with no cash, to overcoming language barriers, each difficulty became an opportunity to learn and gain more strength and independence.

Redefining success

Through my travels, I also reexamined what success means to me. Typically, society measures success by wealth, how your life looks from the outside, your career title, and the car you drive or the purse you carry. I've encountered people and experienced firsthand that this is not the truth, and it is far from success. I've been fortunate to come into contact with people who found happiness in simplicity—having minimal clothing, shelter, and food for their family, often homegrown, a peaceful outlook, and being surrounded by generous and kind neighbors and friends is all that a person can truly ask for once you take a step back from the force society tries to implement on us as to what is "rich."

What is it that we all truly need to survive? It's kind of like the saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover." It's good to remind ourselves that just because something looks different, or that we were taught what is "comfortable," doesn't mean we don't have what we need at the end of the day.

These interactions taught me that genuine contentment comes from real experiences and relationships without expectation. Fulfillment in simple joys encourages me to prioritize experiences over possessions. We won't have our possessions forever, but we can all hope to be fortunate enough to have our memories of moments forever.

If solo travel is something that you've thought about and are not sure where to begin, reach out on my "contact" page. I truly believe that we should all take at least one time in our lives when we put ourselves in an environment that's uncomfortable and embraces our fear.

You might find a part of yourself you didn't know existed that could reshape your entire future.