This past spring break I visited my brother who is studying abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland. The timing wasn’t perfect because he was still in classes for most of the time that I was there. While planning my trip, I realized that if I stayed in Edinburgh for the five days that he was in classes, I’d end up being pretty bored. I really wanted to see other places while I was there but I knew my brother wouldn’t be able to take the time off from classes to come with me.
Then I thought, why did I need someone to come with me? I thought about it for a few days, convinced my parents, then I booked a single flight to Dublin where I’d stay for two nights in a hostel. It didn’t really hit me what I was doing until I was in the taxi on the way to the airport that morning. I was on my way to a country I’d never been to, completely by myself. I had to ask myself what I got myself into. Now looking back, it was a life changing experience that I’d do again in a heartbeat. Here are some reasons why (and why everyone should do it!)
You Meet SO Many People
Just in the two nights that I stayed in my hostel I met a handful of people. The best part, though, is they were from all over the world. I had never been exposed to so many different cultures at once and it was amazing. I met people from all of the world who were either in the same situation as me or taking a gap year.
The Freedom Is Great
Where you go, what you eat, where you stay. Yep, it’s all up to you. Nobody’s with you to tell you otherwise. So you want to eat that gelato at 11 in the morning? Go for it. When you are traveling with others you usually have to compromise what you want to do but with traveling alone you don’t need to. I didn’t feel like I had to have every second of my time in Ireland planned. My first day in Dublin I had some time to kill before I could check into my hostel so I took the time to just explore and get a feel for the city.
You Gain a Sense of Independence That Stays With You
I can say that there were definitely some times that I felt alone but I wouldn’t say that I was lonely. You learn to appreciate the time by youself. It really helps you be completely in the moment and take in the beauty of a place. You have to rely completely on yourself and your own ability and it’s actually very liberating. You learn you don’t need to rely on anyone’s input to reach your goals.
You Learn To Be Resourceful
Chances are things are going to go wrong a few times, it’s inevitable. It’s scary at first but you get used to it and learn how to handle it. In these situations it’s sink or swim and even though you feel like you’re in over your head, you get it together. In the end, it really takes a lot to rattle you. When I got off at the wrong bus stop and I had absolutely no idea where I was? Yeah I knew I could handle it…kind of. You realize that there’s nothing wrong with asking people for help and believe it or not people will surprise you with their kindness. Either way, when things go wrong, you usually will at least a good story out of it.