By Laura Powell

Laura Powell tells us why solo travel works for her

When you tell someone that you’re planning to go on holiday, the first question will always be “where?”, invariably followed by “who are you going with?”. I’m no stranger to solo travel, but every time I tell people I’m going alone, the response is almost always:

Isn’t it dangerous?

Won’t you be lonely?

So, let’s start with the first question.

I don’t presume to know what travelling alone is like for a man, but I know that I always have my gender in mind when planning solo trips. I think carefully about the places I choose to go, ruling out places I’m more likely to be harassed, for example. I also tend to plan more in advance than I would when preparing for a trip with friends, e.g. I make sure I have all accommodation booked and that it’s in a relatively safe area. That’s not to say I haven’t felt uncomfortable or vulnerable at times, surrounded by unfamiliar things and far from the people I trust, but overcoming those moments has made me a bolder and stronger person as a result.

Looking back, some of my favourite countries in the world are places I visited alone, and I believe part of why I grew to love them was because being there was such a personal experience. This includes New Zealand, which was my first solo trip at the age of 19, and Canada, my most recent and unexpected adventure.

Last summer, I accidentally (that’s a story for another time) ended up in Toronto for 2 weeks completely alone. I had never been to Canada before and probably wouldn’t have chosen its largest city as a starting point. However, what this unanticipated trip pushed me to do was really connect with the people around me. This began on the plane, where I struck up a conversation with the woman sat next to me and, by the time we landed, I had her email address, a list of recommendations of things to do in Toronto, as well as a lunch date planned for the following Thursday. The next day, I realised that I didn’t have a clue how to navigate the public transport system, so I asked a stranger at the bus stop who then drew me a metro map and let me pet his dog. Later, I went to a comedy show and spoke to the woman beside me who, when she heard I could speak a bit of Russian, wanted to introduce me to her son (which I politely declined) and invited me to visit her art gallery.

Of course, not everyone is as kind but if you have the confidence to put yourself out there, you can build amazing relationships with the least likely of people, and I never would have developed that confidence had I not been alone.

Isn’t it lonely?

No. Solo travel DOES NOT mean being alone 24/7, however, neither is it about clinging to anyone you find for company. I’m a firm advocate for the benefits of alone time. At the end of the day, there is no other person that’s going to be around for your whole life, so the more comfortable you can become spending time with yourself, the better.

I’m not telling you that you’ll “find yourself” or go on a “spiritual journey” but I can say that travelling alone allows for plenty of self-reflection and it’ll teach you a lot about yourself. You’ll learn how you like to spend your time when there’s nobody pushing you to do something else, you’ll discover what you truly enjoy, without someone to tell you when you’re having a “good time”.

Don’t get me wrong, I love travelling with my friends and taking family holidays but *brace for clichés* I never feel more truly at peace or in balance than when I’m exploring a new place all on my own. So, be bold and give it a go – I dare you.