I booked my first solo trip on a whim. It was a Friday afternoon, I had some time off coming up, and I thought: why not just go? I had never traveled alone before, and I will be honest — I was nervous. What if something went wrong? What if I got lonely? What if I just missed having someone to share meals with?
What actually happened was the opposite of every fear I had. Solo travel turned out to be one of the most freeing experiences of my life, and I came home a little different than when I left.
Here are five things I learned that I still carry with me. You are more resourceful than you think. You talk to more people, not fewer. Getting lost is usually the best part. Eating alone at a restaurant is genuinely wonderful. And the world is, mostly, kind.