Pros & Cons of Solo Travel

Hello!

I am currently in NYC enjoying my summer vacation before the summer semester starts. 

I came here by myself and I will be staying in the New York and New Jersey area. So some days I'll be in the city and other days I'll be more in the suburb "country" area. 

Now, even though I traveled on my own, I am staying at my cousin's apartment and I will be staying at my aunt's house in Jersey. However, because my family works, I am essentially on my own!

Today was the second day I was able to explore the city by myself and basically just get lost in it. 

After these two days I have started to compile a pros and cons list of traveling on your own.

Pros

1. You make all the decisions

You want to spend an hour in barnes and nobles just because? Or you want to eat street food instead of at a restaurant? You call all the shots in your schedule! There is no one there to rush you or comprimise what you want to see. It's pretty amazing to have the liberty to go wherever you want, whenever you want. 

2. You blend in

Honestly, I've been asked for directions. I've even been asked twice if I work at the store I was shopping at. Not being with a group of people really makes blending in with locals a lot easier. I walk around with headphones in my ears since I have no one to be chatting with and I just power walk wherever I want. I'm not constantly checking a map or taking tour buses since my point is literally to get "lost". I'm riding the subways and I've learned proper etiquette before hand on the do's and don't's. 

3. You feel in control

This may sound like my number one, but it is not. There's an amazing sensation about just deciding to go to an unknown place by yourself. You feel powerful. It's an experience like no other honestly. It has its risks but I have feel like you learn not only a lot about the place you're visiting, but about yourself as well.  The experience that comes with it as well is valuable and the memories I have been creating are so special to me. I also feel a lot more confident in myself like, "hey I can do this." So much so, that I'm already thinking about my next solo adventure. (Spain)

Cons

1. No one has your back

That sounds more harsh than reality. What I mean to say is that you have to constantly be checking your stuff and your surroundings. Be smart and be safe. There is no one there to watch your stuff if you need to go to the bathroom or to tell you to close your purse when you have it next to a stranger on the subway. And I'm using NYC as examples for these, but this goes for any place you visit. Especially to you ladies. Just be extra cautious. Do not "get lost in the city" at night. Do your research beforehand so you know what areas you may want to avoid. If you need help, it's always best to ask a cop or a worker rather than a random person. People for the most part really do help, especially with directions, but I try to avoid getting in that situation. 

2. No one to share your experience with

I hesitate on putting this one up. Because in reality we share our travel experiences to friends or family. But what I mean to say is that you have no one to share that experience with in the moment. I think that depending on the type of person you are, this may or may not be that big of a deal. To be honest I felt it more the first day then I did the second. So it may also be just me getting adjusted to solo travel.

3. Only selfies

Because I really don't trust strangers I don't go up to random people and say "can you take a picture of me" so I'm stuck trying to take selfies with these gorgeous views and for the most part it just doesn't work. My arms are too short (I need a selfie stick). So I'm basically not in any of my pictures. Again I think this would be a big deal depending on the type of person you are. For me it's really not. 

My honest opinion is that everyone should try solo traveling at least once in their life. You may hate it or you may love it! But sometimes we really only learn from experiences. It's a great way to just enrich the soul. Traveling to me is of the utmost importance. I'm a college student, but I try and save a little from every paycheck I get. And trust me at the end of the day that money adds up and I have no problem spending that on an airplane ticket rather than materialistic things. For this trip in particular, my parent's paid for my airfare as a 21st birthday gift. But because I've been saving, I have been able to get some shopping done here. You really can get some great deals on airplane tickets, just look ahead of time and do your research. Don't give up! Try a different location, date, or website. 

You don't even need to fly to travel! I've heard buses are also the way to go. Fairly inexpensive. I might try that soon actually...

This world is just too beautiful. We need to try and see as much of it as we can. 

"Adventure is out there"

-m