Experiencing life in another country can be rewarding in so many ways. You get to experience all different facets and aspects on what life is like far away from what you know. Travelling by yourself is a whole adventure in itself, that can open your mind to learning all kinds of new things, without being distracted and being more engaged in the experience. If you are looking for a whole new way where you get to challenge yourself and leave your comfort zone, then this something for you.

I rarely talk about myself when writing these articles, because I like to keep the information that I share to remain solely objective and non-personal. However in my mind, I see this as a topic where my own experience can be helpful and of service to those in need or interested. My story regarding my solo travel began Nov 19^th 2020. I booked a round trip to Dubai for myself only, for six nights at the Dubai Hilton Jumeirah Resort hotel. I was not allowed to work due to the Covid restrictions at the time, and so I figured I would treat myself on a holiday. Before that, I had never even thought or considered  travelling alone somewhere. It was not something that necessarily appealed to me. The whole process went very fast and I landed in Dubai before I knew it. I must admit that the whole decision of flying and travelling to Dubai was a little impulsive, but I knew that I wanted to have that experience and I was not scared at all to go through this on my own. The reason why I went there alone, was because I did not know whom of the people that I knew I would take with me. I simply never had that many close friends, because I choose my friends wisely. I only knew of one girlfriend I could possibly and might wanted to take along with me, but she refused due to personal reasons.

So I went and I will tell you that it was not one of the most easy experiences in my life generally speaking, the whole “travelling solo” process. First of all, I had little clue about the things I planned on doing. I did plan for a couple of things I wanted to visit, but I figured that I would save the details for later when I would get there. I am quite of a “planner person”, so that was not really the issue. The problem was more so that I can take a long time to get ready, because I am that much of a perfectionist. I am not that slow of a person either, I just have a busy routine where I tend to want to do a lot within the time span that I have (or think I have). That said, one of the most difficult things I believe many can agree on regarding this subject, is planning every detail by yourself. If you have travelled solo before, then of course you will find more ease with this. Buying your flight tickets and figuring out where you have to take your flight and leave your luggage is one thing, but knowing how to go from A to B in another country is another thing. However, I have always been a very self-sufficient person, so I personally did not experience real problems or a lot of difficulties with this.

Aside from that, the actual experience of travelling by yourself is quite amazing. It is commonly known and I can also speak from my own experience, that it has proven me even more so how fearless and independent I truly am. I now know that I have the strength and courage to physically be completely by myself if I want to or have to and that I can be okay with that, without much help or the company of others. I felt unstoppable in a way after I came back home from my trip. I did a lot of soul searching earlier that year and the year before that and I remember at that time really finding myself, actually finding home within myself.  It was one of the greatest life experiences I had ever had. My trip to Dubai was not all roses and sunshine however, I went through some dark moments where I wish I was not alone at all, in some way or another. While I was happy and proud to do such a thing as a 24 year-old, I experienced a few moments where I was reminded of how alone I had felt all these past years and it reminded me of the abandonment I experienced during my childhood and teenage years. Before that while still in Belgium, I planned and bought a ticket for a desert trip. Once I got there, on the day before I would leave Dubai to go back to Belgium, I noticed that this “desert trip” was not at all as I imagined it to be. All the people that were there came with either family or friends. I was the only one in that desert without company, friends or family. I initially thought because I had booked a VIP guide trip, that I would be accompanied the entire time by members of the company, but that was not the case. Suddenly it hit me and I felt incredibly lonely. I left all the people that were there engaging in activities and started to walk around in the desert, all by myself. I cried my eyes out as I was walking while the sun was going under. It was one of the loneliest experiences in my life and I will never forget that moment. What did happen was that I developed even greater strength after that day and experience. They say what does not kill you, makes you stronger. This experience is a great example of that. Whether or not you will have a great time travelling solo, in my personal opinion, it is worth the experience if you are interested. It will grant you many benefits such as; expansion of universal knowledge and wisdom, greater courage and independence, finding your true self, improving self-esteem, learning new languages, making new (important) connections, meeting new friends or even a lover!