05/11/2023

The Art of Solo Travel 

the ultimate form of self love

The thought that there are people in this world that I have not met yet, that will change my life forever, is absolutely mind boggling. 

Over the last couple of years I have been traveling by myself quite a bit. In the summer, I usually live in a different country for a longer period of time. I try to live like a local, make friends, grocery shop, have a go-to cafe, become friends with the barista, and all that jazz. 

I didn’t realize the impact this would have on me – on my self discovery and authenticity. When you’re alone with your own thoughts and can quite literally do anything you want, you really start to discover your likes and dislikes because you do not have to do anything to please others. I also have the added bonus of not having instagram as an external force to influence my choices, which I think is also key in maximizing the benefit of this practice. 

When you do things just for the sake of doing them, try things because you want to, what you build is taste and discernment. I talk about this idea’s complexity and importance in building a creative identity in a previous piece. But to touch on it a bit again, taste and discernment is the ability to make informed judgements and evaluations based on a refined sense of judgment and the ability to differentiate between options. 

There are a lot of viable options a person is presented with in their lives. You could be a teacher or a marketing specialist or a plumber. You might be able to build skills in multiple professions. But how do you figure out your values? What matters to you? What do you want to prioritize in your life? It’s important to sort that out early on in our lives so we aren’t living for others and having actual midlife crises at 35. 

When you know what you like and can distinguish between superior and mediocre offerings for you, you gain a greater sense of personal satisfaction and fulfillment. You align your choices and preferences with your values, aesthetics, and sensibilities. By pursuing what you genuinely find fun and valuable and appealing, you derive more enjoyment and satisfaction from your experiences and possessions. 

Solo travel forces you to practice this in a sense, and in turn you cultivate a sense of taste and discernment that proliferates through all other aspects of your life, whether that be your values in relation to romantic pursuits and friendships or factors important to you in your career. Solo travel serves as a powerful catalyst in honing the ability to get to know yourself and find what you love. It is an ultimate act of self-love. 

There were moments when I was living in Madrid when I realized that I hadn’t spoken a word out loud all day. This practice forces a sense of silence and boredom, which I’ve talked about before, are important ingredients in self discovery. 

When you experience cultures and ways-of-living in other countries, you realize that not everything is America-centric or western-centric. Perspectives on the world differ greatly because not everyone in the world shares a monolithic viewpoint shaped solely by American media influence. There are people in the world who do not know what OpenAI is. They have other, perhaps bigger fish to fry. Understanding and meeting people completely outside of your group can help you become more intentional in your everyday life, your choices, and your values. 

Solo travel empowers us to break free from the constraints of familiarity, immersing ourselves in the richness of global perspectives. It equips us with the tools necessary to navigate an interconnected world with grace, empathy, and an open mind. 

If you have the privilege and means to take a trip, even to a neighbouring town, take the opportunity to change your life for the better. 

This piece is 41/50 from my 50 days of writing series. Subscribe to hear about new posts.