Hey my loves! So because I just recently went away to South Beach, I did a survey on www.instagram.com about solo travel! I was so disappointed that a whopping 67% of you would NOT travel alone. Solo travel is like the best thing ever!
So I am here to give you some pros about traveling solo and tips on how to make your solo vacation a success!
Listen, I love a group vacation. But we all know if the vibe and dynamics are not there, group vacations can be ..hmmm…
TEDIOUS! COSTLY! SOMETIMES, A WASTE OF TIME!
I’ll give you a couple of examples. We used to take lots of family vacations together. Ranging in age from 3 to 82. One year we all went to Florida. About 10-12 of us. When it came to going out to eat, it never occurred to us to go out to eat with our respective family units and then meet up afterwards for whatever activity.
We basically spent more time deciding where we were going, then actually enjoying each other’s company. And then many restaurants couldn’t handle our group, so we wasted a lot of time deciding and not doing.
There’s also the group vacation you take with a group of girlfriends or guys. Right? Who’s tired? Who didn’t bring enough to wear? Who is a picky eater? Who is counting pennies? I mean the list is endless.
And the reality is hanging out with your friends back home for a few hours is V E R Y different than spending an entire week on vacation together. I’ve only had two vacations with friends that were MEMORABLE! Out of many.
Hence, why I L O V E solo trips! Here are my top 5 reasons why I like traveling alone:
- You can do W H A T E V E R fancies you. Eat when you want, sleep when you want, sightsee what and when you want.
- You can have the room all to yourself. And if you meet someone and want to bring them back – you MOST definitely can (hey, it happens!)
- You don’t have to share your clothes, swimsuits or toiletries or money! (We all have that one friend!)
- You don’t have to split the bill evenly even when you just had a salad or a drink. LOL.
- You don’t have to do anything – you can lay on a beach, listening to your tunes, reading, meditating, napping, without having to engage in mindless chatter. Silence can be golden at times, something we don’t enjoy enough of.
Here are 5 tips for making your solo trip a success:
- Before you leave do some research (ask friends, read blogs, etc.) about some things you should do while there or places to see. Or just wing it and explore!
- Make sure you pack a book, magazine and journal – if you feel self conscious about being alone, these are always good props to have when dining solo or hanging on beach solo – makes you look occupied and/or important. LOL. You can always use the journal to write about the experiences you’re having.
- Don’t take drinks from strangers. LOL, no but seriously, don’t. This is how people go missing and get trafficked. I’m real serious.
- If you’re paranoid like me because you watch too many crime shows – DON’T walk around alone at night or through dark alleys. Stay in well lit areas around lots of people. I mean you wouldn’t walk through dark alleys at home, right?
- Trust your intuition when it comes to meeting people. I hung out with some guys at the https://fontainebleau.com/ in Miami and their vibe was so chill and laid back versus the guy who approached me at the door. He kept insisting and coming over inviting us to their bed (by the pool that is) and I was just like nahh! We’re good. They could have been perfectly fine, but I wasn’t trying to find out otherwise.
Anyway, I think EVERYONE should take a solo trip or two in their lifetime. It’s a great way to spend some time alone with yourself and get more comfortable in your skin. It’s a practice in being present.
There is nothing more grounding (I think) than spending a day alone at the beach or sitting at an outdoor cafe – you are more in tuned with everything and everyone around you because you’re not distracted by friends and chatter. Listen, I love my friends, but I also love my own company.
So go ahead, book that solo trip ASAP! and then tell me all about it.
Thanks for stopping by! Happy Friday!
♥LolaUncorked