10 Reasons You Should Travel by Yourself in Your 20's
Travel travel travel. It's on my mind at the moment and at 27 years of age I have traveled far and wide and it has taught me so much. From Australia to Europe, London, Paris, Rome across to the United States I have seen a lot but still not enough. Each place holds a special place in my heart and for a number of reasons. Each place holds a special place in my heart and for a number of reasons. I remember being in the states in May and texting a male friend of mine Antony. I told Antony, 24, to travel, to see the world. He wasn't ready to take the plunge I knew it but it has inspired this blog post.
Here are 1o reasons you should travel by yourself in your 20's:
- You Have To Assume Full Responsibility For Yourself: Okay so you think yeah, I flat, I've got this but what about if you are in a non-English speaking country such as Amsterdam and you have to get yourself from the airport to the hotel. It can be scary and you might get lost (I did!) It can be terrifying and fun but it's an experience in itself.
- It builds confidence: Travel pushes you out of your comfort zone. Sometimes you have to push yourself, talk to others, ask questions and get involved. You try things you wouldn't otherwise and adopt a "When in Rome" policy. I went out last night with a travel buddy dancing, and I danced. Boy did I dance, I never used to be like this but when on holiday I realised I knew no one so why not. I got confident and now that I am back this has stayed with me. I dance with confidence.
- It's a way to liberate yourself: Quickly will you realise that you don;t need a man to make you happy, you don't always need to ask mum and dad's advice and points one and two lead you to realise that you've got this.
- You See Parts Of The World You Didn't Know Existed: I had never heard of Zion Park before my trip to the states but It opened my eyes and now I never want to forget it. I love New Zealand and I am always recommending places to see here however if I didn't travel, I wouldn't learn what's out there.
- You learn how other people in the world live: In the States, I had doughnuts for breakfast because that's what they did, In France, I would dine at 11pm, and in London the tube was everything. Even the toilets were different between the countries. They do say that the best way to learn is to experience it and that's what I did.
- You become more self-aware: You become aware of changes in your body or more likely how close your bag is to you. You hear all the travel stories where passports get stolen etc so you become more self-aware. You know what you need and when you need it and the suitcase life opens your eyes to the clutter you don't need. For me, I become aware of how much money I was wasting on things, when what I really want more of is memories.
- You become more aware of the people around you: Your mind is more open to how people talk, react, use hand gestures. It's not even just a matter of sensing potential danger, but also simply knowing where you are, being able to place yourself. It's about using your gut to determine what next.
- You will meet amazing people: This I promise you. My Topdeck Travel guide told me we all as travelers have a golden ticket - our accents. They make conversations easy as "Where are you from, and where are you going" are great starting points. Smile, say hi and open your hearts. I promise you will meet people you never expected you would.
- You can disconnect: You can turn off your mobile, “forget” to check you emails for a few days… don’t think about the bills, the responsibilities, the duties and problems. Leave them behind. Something which might be a little bit harder to do in your 30's or 40's if you have a child etc.
- A new you: While traveling you have a chance to be a fresh new you. For me, it was about having no regrets. I danced on bars, I did scary rollercoasters, I broke into a closed park. I became a carefree Hannah. This Hannah was amazing, the confidence.
Travel, don't look back.
