I’ve had my share of going to clubs for while before I cached the travel bug and decided to cut many expenses , and start saving in every way possible,  what I noticed is when I used to go out, I would call some friend to join me and most of the time, they would have something to do but that never stops me from leaving the house alone, and go out to enjoy the night,  Thus the same thing happens when I’d be planing a trip and can’t find anyone to join me. what’s even more strange is how  I started liking  travelling alone the same way I liked going out alone back then for many reasons as follows.

I feel free from any barriers, meaning I can do whatever I want without having to adjust to other people’s lifestyle or plans, this might have created some conflicts but it’s definitely worth the trouble. You may even have someone who actually want to accompany you but you know they won’t be comfortable with many of your decisions along the way. when I was planning to visit my twin brother in Los Angeles my older brother who I live with in Montreal called me names for not inviting him, but that didn’t make it less true that I wouldn’t be as wild and free when I’m travelling solo.

In my case it was my brother but it can be even a friend who you just can’t do many things  around them. when you are with your usual friends or even your closest friends you are supposed to behave a certain way, and that limits you because there is not much chance for experiencing new things in such an environment, you feel like you have to settle for the sake of their comfort, and since most people hate getting uncomfortable, you would even get called on making their time less enjoyable, unlike me, who sometimes seek those uncomfortable situations that always turn out to be amazing stories. If I was with my friends I wouldn’t have introduced myself to a group of 6 people who turned to be Australian travelers and end up spending an awesome time in a McDonald close to my place, instead I would just keep talking to my friends and that’s OK for some people I guess, but not for me.
In that situation I was the local but generally when you are the traveler, having to meet new people and getting out of your comfort zone is  inevitable, for the simple reason that you’d get screwed over and over again if you don’t blend in with some locals and adapt to their way of living, and end up having  some new exciting adventures.

I also enjoy reading books, which is almost impossible to do when you are with friends all the time, when I’m travelling, I have a lot of free time that enables me to read many books I would have missed if didn’t travel by myself,  but again that’s just me. I like living life in a state of learning new things constantly, it’s a whole philosophy I had the chance to discover from no one but Jim Rohn.

Solo travelling teaches you many life lessons but what’s more important is that it develops you to be a responsible, independent, brave, confident person because it is very challenging, you are on your own, every decision you make is crucial, and when you make a mistake there is no one to blame but yourself. However It all pays off at the end, everyone you meet in the future can’t help it but be attracted to you. I’ve been called brave by people when I first meet them repeatedly, and I believe it is due to the lifestyle I chose for myself for not waiting around for opportunities to knock on my door, but rather taking action and creating chances whenever possible.

I have this interesting idea that crossed my mind when I was asked once by a friend whether I like travelling alone or is it just a logistic issue and this was my answer: I want to travel the world twice once alone backpacking and a second time with all my close friends and some family because even if I’m all about improving myself, I can’t deny Christopher McCandless last words.