There are people who like to travel solo just like me while some do like to share with their friends, families, and loved ones. Well, of course, there are positives and negatives for both sides, but in this article, I would like to talk about the pros and cons of solo-traveling based on my experience. I have a favorite quote from one movie, which I forgot the title of, but here goes, "tourist wants to escape from their life, but traveler wants to experience it." I would love to be labeled as a traveler.

Pros

"You will get to see so many new people."

Meeting new people is always exciting. Wherever you go, there will always be people around you. On planes, trains, or buses. At guesthouses. Or wherever it is, there is always a chance to see people. You can talk to them, share stories, and even be friends that would last forever. Visiting different places, and sharing your cultures and thoughts are so much fun. You will learn a lot from it, which will be a life time experience.

"Flexibility."

Nothing beats flexibility when it comes to traveling. You might have to compromise where you go and when you go if you travel with someone else. But, there is no discussion in solo-traveling. You can follow in your heart. You can decide where to go, when to go by yourself. You can sleep longer if you feel tired. Stay up until the next morning if you feel energetic. You don't have to worry about where to stay or what to eat as well. You are the master. Go with the flow.

"You feel much more independent and mature after the travel."

During the travel, you will most likely have to face tons of challenges and difficulties. And in most cases, you will have to solve the problems by yourself because you are traveling alone. Imagine you are in so much trouble in a place where you don't understand their language and you don't have any friends, but you have to survive. After dealing with all the problems by yourself, you will feel much more confident, independent, and mature. You will feel like you can do whatever you want, or whatever comes to you.

Cons

"You cannot avoid the feeling of loneliness."

Sometimes, you will definitely feel lonely no matter how strong you are. That happens to me as well. When I go to a place where it is surrounded by the great nature, I feel so free and confident, but sometimes when I visit a place where there are a lot of people and see they are sharing those amazing moments with somebody else, I feel lonely and alone. So, even though you feel that you are strong enough, at some point, you will absolutely face the loneliness, which hurts.

"It always sucks to say bye to people and places."

I hate this "bye" moment the most. Because you are a traveler, you will visit so many different places, and there is always this sad moment you have to be brave enough to overcome. When you think in a positive way, you will get to see those people again somewhere in the world in the future, but still, it is so sad to leave those people and places. You will make friends, you might even ave someone who you like or love, but travelers like to see different worlds, so you will most likely say goodbye to them temporarily. I usually cry when I take on a transportation system, then see outside from the window. But you will be stronger and stronger.

With those being said, I still believe solo-traveling is a beautiful thing that we can try to experience, which will be worth it in your life for sure. Dream big, and live your life.