The need to travel solo.

Traveling with my partner, family members and friends is great. But, I still need my solo travel time because it is a unique self-development experience where I get to spend a significant amount of time observing, nurturing and developing my inner world.

No two solo journeys are the same. The point for me is to not just take a flight, reach a destination and come back in a few days to say that I checked it off of my bucket list. That is just the operational aspect of what traveling entails. The point for me is to intentionally create opportunities to step away from my daily routine and immerse myself in diverse situations. I love being awestruck by the variety of people, cultures, landscapes, lifestyles, thought processes, philosophies and then incorporating those learnings in my own life.

Every time I travel solo, I come back a different person, a better version of myself. Not only are these changes behavioral, but I believe they also enhance my cognitive flexibility by challenging my perspectives and benefit my gut health by introducing a variety of local, seasonal, and regional foods.

For me, solo travel is a lifestyle, not a fad. My solo journeys are continuously shaping the person I am becoming. For me, solo travel is self-care.