Why should you travel solo? (A note from my journal)
Dear Diary,
“On the 19th of February, I took off from India to leave for Thailand for a solo trip in what felt like forever. As of today, it’s been 5-6 days already that I’m on my own in a new country, that I’ve never been to before. And let me tell you, the feeling of being unknown, not having friends around, and having to figure out everything from scratch, is all at once, scary at first and really empowering next. I feel really good even after doing something as basic as buying a local SIM card or withdrawing local currency for the first time. And while not all days are good and sometimes you do crave company, overall, I think everyone needs to learn to spend time by themselves.”
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So here’s what I feel about my Solo Trip to Thailand:
The most stand-out thought for me during this trip was, that now I understand what self-preservation really is. I feel like we’ve all coped with the last two years of the ongoing Pandemic differently. But most of us did spend a LOT of time indoors. I realized after stepping into a new country, that my thoughts were so different in Thailand, from when I was in the comfort of my home. When I was home, I felt complacent with who I was, where I was, or what I was doing. My brain was just telling me repeatedly that it’s all okay, you’re okay, you’re fine. In an attempt to perhaps not feel hurt over things that weren’t possible (like travel). And while it helped, sometimes that’s not such a good thing in the long run. Because it makes you want to live in your comfort zone. But that thought left me as soon as I came to Thailand.
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I now feel this renewed energy to travel, work harder, write more, communicate better, learn something different, empathise with somebody from a different culture. Just generally aim to be the best at what I do! And this also translates to travel vlogging, my second channel, newsletter, new projects, ventures, side businesses, etc. because I don’t feel so satisfied anymore. And I think that is oddly refreshing. I realised that this world is too big and I wish for something more than whatever little I’ve achieved. Maybe self-preservation feels different for most people, but that’s how I truly feel. Because how will I reach for the stars if I don’t broaden my vision or even see them in the first place?
Sometimes the biggest form of growth in life, only comes from being in a state of discomfort.
It’s been refreshing that I feel very far away from that goal right now. I don’t crave comfort anymore, which is a good thing, because I want to struggle, work harder and try to reach that vision? This bursting feeling in me, wouldn’t have been possible if I didn’t take the leap of faith of traveling by myself to a new country. Don’t get me wrong here. By no means do I feel that we need to be in a constant state of achievement or goal setting either. It is sometimes important to find a balance between being goal oriented and wishing for comfort, to live a more wholesome life. I do know that the last two years were not so great for many of us in so many ways. But I’m curious to know, does solo travel fill your head with hopes, dreams and possibilities? If you haven’t tried it yet, are you inspired to venture into this adventure soon? More than anything, now that things are opening up, I hope you are filled with some new form of energy by the mid of this year and wish to do something out of your comfort zone. Whether, it is travelling by yourself, or writing a page in your personal journal or something entirely different.
Are you a fan of traveling solo too? If yes, what makes you feel excited about it? Let’s talk in the comments section! 🙂
