How solo travel can help connect back to yourself
14 January 2026
Common reasons why people choose solo travel
There is one hobby I loved for a long time. It’s solo travel. For me, solo traveling always felt like freedom.
Other people would often give me odd looks. Where I felt excitement, they felt fear. Other people would make remarks such as “I would never do it.”
And my answer is “you don’t have to.” There are many different life paths and many different lifestyles and ways of living. Sometimes, as humans, we judge what isn't ours. But we forget that every life path is different. Preferences can differ. Hobbies can differ. And that’s ok. We don’t need to have the same preferences or hobbies.
But some people are intrigued. They have done solo traveling or consider solo traveling.
1)Deepening the trust in yourself
The first and foremost thing about solo traveling is the confidence you need to have and that will later often deepen throughout your travels. You need to fully trust yourself. This is crucial because you may encounter uncomfortable situations and find yourself alone. A deep trust is what I find highly beneficial. In addition, a good intuitive feeling helps you evaluate if a place is safe or not. I remember I was once travelling in Cambodia a couple of years ago, and at night, I just had an intuitive feeling that I should stay in my accommodation with other travelers. If you don’t really have that confidence or intuitive feeling to trust in, you may risk being exposed to situations that you may not like. And yet, there is no guarantee in life. Even if you’re at home, you can be hit by a car. Not to picture worst-case scenarios, but just to put things into perspective. What’s safety in the first place? Life itself is an adventure no matter where you are. But if you tend to be at home, you’re surrounded by familiar conditions, cultures, and people, which may provide a sense of familiarity and comfort.
2)Longing for adventure
The second reason for solo traveling is often the adventure. Too often we’re put in a box. We may grow up in a specific manner, and society or our culture may expect us to behave in a certain way. So solo traveling can provide this adventure. The adventure to break out of any boxes and dogmas that society lives by. It makes you open towards new perspectives and new ways of life. You suddenly see the world through a different lens.
3)Escape as a way to reconnect with yourself
The third reason is not always, but sometimes, escape. Yes, we don’t want to admit it, but let’s be honest. Sometimes we may not really feel comfortable where we are; we may be between two different worlds. Maybe the old reality or world crumbled, and we’re just about embarking on new beginnings. We may not exactly know where to go or what’s next. So this “limbo stage” can be a reason people travel solo. What first appears as an escape from the old reality can later help you reconnect or find a deeper purpose because in the end, you can't escape from your reality.
When you leave the safe spot, you’re exposed to different situations. Different situations give you new perspectives. Sometimes you meet people that inspire you. It’s not always the job or profession that inspires you, but especially in an exotic country, as far as my experience is concerned, it’s often the slower life that inspires me. The humbleness people live by. Despite often having much less money than we do in Western countries, the kindness they share with others inspires me. It reminds me more of who I am and what truly counts. It’s beyond making fast money and fame. It’s the easy life we crave. Solo traveling can help you develop or enhance this aspect of your life.
4)The journey back to yourself
I don’t want to make it sound dramatic or poetic, but if we’re honest, we’re sometimes stuck in our own thinking patterns. We rely on people, or people rely on us. We may consciously or unconsciously people-please or compromise. Some people live up to the expectations of others their whole life without noticing it. Not that it’s bad; every life is worth living, but there may come a point where you feel tired of it. So solo traveling can help you connect with yourself, with your desires. You can eat when you wish to eat, and you can sleep when you wish to sleep. No compromise. No people-pleasing. Just living by your own terms which can give you time to re-evaluate what you want and what you value.
The truth but also myth about solo travel: Solo travel doesn't mean you're alone
But of course solo traveling isn't always as fancy. There can be moments of loneliness or helplessness. Although the more experienced you are, the less often you may feel them. Because that’s the myth. Solo travelling doesn’t mean you’re always alone unless you choose to. In fact, during solo travelling, most people open up. You’re alone, so now you become more open to people. You often become a more active observer. Once you overcome the initial shyness or awkwardness that can appear, you actually start smiling at people, and you engage with them.
You realize there are tons of other solo travelers or travelers in general. Sometimes you can sit in a bar or coffee shop, and you start a conversation if the situation allows. Something, that groups may not always do as they tend to be involved in the group chat, less on other people. However, as always, this is no generalization. You can meet other people with or without a group. You can experience loneliness with or without a group, and I firmly believe that this is the essence and myth of solo travel.
Just because you travel solo doesn’t mean you feel lonely. In fact, there can be such a deep trust. You can develop more self-confidence. You realize how everything and everyone is connected. Then really, the world suddenly becomes home. Of course, everyone may have a place, whether it be a home place or a place of their choice that they may call home, but once you solo travel, you may have the feeling that indeed the world is your home.
You realize that people are not so different after all.
Of course there are always exceptions and not all individuals may have the best intentions, but overall, no matter where you travel, people usually tend to long for similar things. Happiness. Peace. Health. Kindness. You realize humanity is not so different after all. And then you don’t really feel lonely anymore. Because you realize you can make friends and acquaintances anywhere. If you become your own best friend, and you appreciate yourself,you can become friends with others. That's the most beautiful thing. You first start to connect with yourself and then with others. Suddenly solo travel becomes more than just a trip, it's a way to reconnect back with yourself.
As always, those are just my personal views and experiences how it made me become stronger, more adventurous and made me feel more connected to myself. Of course, some people may have different travel intentions and experiences than mentioned here, and that's equally fine.
Maybe it’s simply a signal to start living a little more consciously.
What if the places we desire, the lifestyles we admire and the experiences we chase are shaping more than just our own lives?
What if the beauty we're chasing isn't the beauty we're longing for?
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