Date of publication 15/04/2018
Yes, I’ve been lucky enough to travel in every possible way: with a partner, with friends, in groups for work... In fact, I’ve always believed that a big part of a trip’s success depends on the company, on choosing well who you share flights, beaches, and experiences with.
Even so, although at first it didn’t quite make sense to me, I’ve grown more and more inclined to travel alone. To stay open to all kinds of experiences, to talk to more people, to connect even more deeply with the destination and its culture. Also, to make my own decisions, choose my path, change every plan without having to check with anyone, and enjoy every detail Iberostar hotels have to offer while indulging in whatever I feel like.
And if there’s one thing I can say about this experience, it’s that traveling solo is also an effective and deeply satisfying way to travel. For all these reasons, I consider myself a firm advocate of solo travel:
I AM THE BOSS
Traveling solo comes with perks from the very start. For better or worse, I’m the boss here: I make all the decisions, I get things wrong, I get things right (and of course, I take responsibility). I’m the one who decides the timing, whether I prefer February over August, three weeks straight, or five short trips; beach, mountains, or a mix of both.
From there, I set the budget (a constant source of debate on group trips); however, I feel like, probably in a slightly indulgent way: sandwiches for lunch and a Michelin-star dinner; a low-cost flight and a luxury hotel; getting around by bike and taking a helicopter ride over the city…
And? Who gets to weigh in? Even better, who gets to complain? No one (unless I suddenly turn into Mrs. Doubtfire or Jack Lemmon in Some Like It Hot and split into two personalities). And what if, halfway through, I decide to cancel everything at the last minute and do the exact opposite of what I had planned? What happens? Nothing. After all, I’m like Bruce, the Boss.
IT’S THE BEST WAY TO GET TO KNOW A DESTINATION
Traveling solo is the essence of travel itself. It’s the ideal way to get to know a city or a country, to blend in with locals and other travelers, and to end up in unexpected places without quite knowing how. On an excursion, at a group dinner, in a laundromat… when you least expect it… Traveling alone makes you far more open to letting life surprise you and embracing it without overthinking.
I TRAIN MY “AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT”
Traveling solo becomes a kind of training ground for working on, let’s say, my “areas for improvement.” As a confessed hyperactive person, I test my patience by choosing the train over a flight so I can take time to read or listen to music without checking the clock once. I improve my (terrible) sense of direction by getting lost again and again, even with a map in hand (and along the way I discover places I never planned to visit), and I push myself to make decisions quickly without (over)thinking them.
It doesn’t matter what scares you or what you find difficult. I’ve witnessed breakthroughs in solo travelers: timid people who completely came out of their shell after a week on the road; shy travelers who couldn’t bring themselves to sit down for a meal alone and ended up enjoying it, even inviting someone to join them; and chronically late people who turned into walking Swiss watches after missing one too many trains…
I LEARN LANGUAGES
No books, no schools, no free apps. Traveling solo is the most effective way to learn languages. And I’m not talking about those language classes I took as a kid, where I never actually practised speaking, but real immersion through trial and error: asking for directions, booking a hotel, bargaining at a market, or approaching that interesting person (which brings me to the next point)… all you need is the desire to communicate. The native accent and perfect grammar can wait.
WE ALL BECOME MORE ATTRACTIVE
Traveling solo makes you more interesting. It’s been empirically proven: being on your own is a hundred times more alluring than the best deodorants advertised on TV. There he is, sitting, writing in his Moleskine while a ray of sunlight hits his face on a train… and suddenly that stranger looks like Ryan Gosling to me. Who is he? What does he do? Is he traveling across Europe?
Will he stay at a hotel in Barcelona? In Lisbon? Will he tell stories about the thousands of adventures he’s had at a hotel in Madrid? Then he looks up… and that’s just the first line of the story… (and the moment you’re grateful you didn’t sign up for that trip with your friends).
I DON’T REALLY TRAVEL ALONE
That said, and after laying out all the reasons why I love traveling solo, I have to admit, if I’m being honest, that I’ve never done an entire trip completely alone. Yes, I’ve often left home with just my backpack or suitcase and myself, but after a few days, in a bar, at a cooking class, on the beach, or in a museum… I’ve always met other solo travelers (they’re everywhere!) with whom I’ve shared part of the journey. Hours, days, or weeks. As far as we’ve gone. As far as we’ve wanted. Because solo travelers know that’s how it’s done. And that’s why it works.
ARANTXA NEYRA
Images: Cordon Press and Getty Images
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