The Benefits and Drawbacks of Solo Travel

I consider myself a fairly seasoned solo traveler, for better or for worse.

Solo travel has always felt like a strange, irresistible invitation: the chance to explore a new world on your own terms. It’s freeing and terrifying at the same time. It’s everything — exhilarating, clarifying, and, yes, exhausting.

I recently spent four months in Japan, solo for most of it. That trip delivered some of the highest highs and some of the lowest lows I’ve ever felt.

What I love about traveling alone

Freedom and Flexibility
You decide when and where to go. You wake up and build the day however you want. That autonomy is empowering — and sometimes overwhelming.

Slow Travel
I prefer to settle into one place for longer stretches. I call it “slow travel”: lingering at a neighborhood cafe, exploring on foot, letting routines form. It’s always a guessing game how long to stay somewhere — and I’m okay never perfecting that art.

Clarity
Solo travel gives you space to think. Some of my most intense moments of clarity happened while I was alone on the road. I still get the chills thinking back to these moments which were brief glimpses of absolute certainty that I am exactly where I am meant to be.

The parts of Solo Travel that wear you down

Loneliness 
Even during a perfect day — thigh-deep powder on a mountain, or an unforgettable sushi meal — it can feel lonely. Loneliness is a constant thing: you can’t fully prepare for it, and it doesn’t necessarily get easier with practice.  Some of the highlights of my trip were overshadowed with this intense feeling of wanting to be “seen,” or even something as simple as a hug from a loved one.

Exhaustion 
Solo travel is easily the most exhausting feeling I have ever experienced.  You make all the decisions, call all the shots and make all the moves. You have no one else to lean on but yourself, which is empowering in a certain sense, yet extremely overwhelming.

The shift Towards Community and Shared Experiences

I am incredibly grateful for what I have gained through solo traveling. It gave me confidence, independence and skills to navigate foreign environments. I still carry a lot of these lessons with me on a daily basis. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, because it’s a part of life. Lately though, I have felt this nudge to get more involved with a community and share experiences with others. This African proverb always sticks in my head, but I feel like it is super applicable:

“If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”

There will always be a time and place to escape this crazy world and experience it on your own. However, I believe that we need community more than ever.  Invite someone on a trip, hike, run…whatever it may be. It’s these small gestures that go a long way.