Why I Decided to Travel the World Solo
We're partnering with Capital One on our Purposeful Travel Hub. If you have unique ways you like to give back when you travel or just love exploring new places with family and friends, we want to hear about it. Share your most treasured travel moments and purposeful travel tips with us using #MeaningfulMoments.
For me, the decision to travel the world alone was never a question.
The first time I left the US was to study abroad for fourth months at Harlaxton College, in the east midlands of England. About two weeks after I arrived as a student, I took my first-ever solo trip to Scotland. This was September 2012, and I was 22 years old.
Harlaxton organized a trip every weekend, and if you paid their price, they'd take care of your transportation and accommodations. But I couldn't afford a flight, so I took a train from Grantham to London and then from London to Edinburgh. It cost £59 (approximately $76) total.
I'll never forget the moment I stepped off the train in Scotland, surrounded by these unfamiliar accents and filled with both awe and anxiety that I was all on my own. On my way to the hostel, I took a one-hour detour to a pub because a cheerful group insisted I join them. Over pints of cider, they shared tips about places to check out that weekend.
There I was, this fresh foreigner able to do, say and be whatever I wanted. Holy freedom! There's this unparalleled liberation that comes with being completely anonymous, and it was a feeling I fell in love with.
Following Scotland, I went on to visit 70 countries across six continents while writing about my solo travel experiences with the everyday traveler in mind, knowing there's a special type of magic in store for people exploring the world on their own. When you're alone in a foreign country, you experience a mindset switch, and it's equal parts liberating and terrifying. That's what makes the experience so unforgettable.
On a solo trip, you're sure to learn a lot about yourself, the kindness of strangers and who you are as an individual. Solo travel definitely isn't for everybody, but it is for anybody who's ready to discover a new side of themselves. Here are seven reasons you should try a solo trip.
You Meet New People
When you take a solo trip, you're often at the mercy of the kindness of strangers. Besides mastering the, "Help! I'm a tourist!" face, I've had my faith in humanity restored every time a stranger goes out of his or her way to make my day easier. Now I have friends in the most random places, because of my travels around the world.
You Learn to Enjoy Time Alone
When it's time to explore, how do you deal with looking — and feeling — lonely? What do you do when you don't have a friend to talk to at lunch? I've learned to smile, to order Champagne for no reason and to let the good energy come to me. More often than not, someone will strike up a casual conversation. In fact, traveling solo is rarely a lonely experience, because you look much more approachable (especially to other solo travelers) and you'll have countless opportunities to make friends with just about anybody who returns a smile. Now, I love traveling alone so much that every year for my birthday, I treat myself to a new country for a week.
You Feel Emboldened
I intentionally put out good energy wherever I go, and always try to greet strangers in their native language. And when you're solo, people feel more inspired to approach you for a friendly chat. Even navigating the Moroccan bazaars when you have seven people trying to sell you the same scarf is an opportunity to laugh and have fun.
As I dodged shouts of, "Serena Williams!" and "Michelle Obama!" in Morocco, you can imagine how hard it was to keep a straight face. But I just maintained my sense of humor and let them know, sadly, I was only the third cousin of Obama — and second cousin to Williams.
You Become More Self-Reliant
And what about missed flights? Delayed luggage? How do you react to stress, discomfort or confusion when you have no one to rely on but yourself? Well, you're forced to dig a little deeper and see what you're really made of. You'll find that you're more than capable of conquering anything that comes your way.
You Become More Self-Aware
I'm much more cognizant of my surroundings when I'm traveling solo. If I'm on an empty street, I don't like when there's a single person walking fairly close behind, so every now and then I'll stop and take a picture of a random tree — typical tourist move — or pull out my phone and say something like, "Hey babe, I'm two minutes away!" just to make that person think I have someone here with me.
Of course, there's nobody on the other line, but it's a warning not to try anything crazy, because I have someone close by. I also have a fake wedding ring I wear out at night when I don't want to attract too much male energy, especially if I'm experiencing the nightlife.
You're Totally in Control
Solo travel is the ultimate level of freedom, and of building self-confidence. It means you're allowed to be completely focused on yourself: to dictate every detail of the experience. I mean, how many times have you been on a trip and wanted to do one thing, only to have your friends prefer to do something else entirely? How many times have you left a trip honestly saying, "I did every single thing I wanted to do"?
Let's face it: It's hard to #treatyoself when your travel buddy is on a much slimmer budget. In group settings, we tend to compromise. And don't get me wrong, group travel is amazing, couple's getaways are super romantic (I can't speak from experience, but I've seen movies) and family trips are, well ... something.
You Learn to Be Brave
Sure, you can just wait for your friends to have the right savings, time off and ambition to see the world. But I'm not going to pretend that fear isn't a common hindrance for most. The reality is, many of our fears exist only inside our heads, and they're based on worst-case-scenario events. I get it: Sometimes, the world sounds like a scary place with terror lurking around every corner. I rejected this narrative. I knew that if I wanted to experience the world as much as possible, I couldn't wait for anyone else's circumstances (or state of mind) to be right. So I went by myself.
When I started country-hopping, I went wherever I could afford to at first, and didn't really consider solo travel-friendliness. It didn't even occur to me that solo travel was this rare, brave thing — especially as a woman — because I'd had a great experience everywhere else I'd been so far, and I was on this perpetual high from finding ways to pursue my dream of traveling full-time.
All photos courtesy of Gloria Atanmo.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees