What Solo Travel Taught me About Trusting Myself
On one of my travels in Europe, I found myself in the middle of Reykjavik in November – without a hat or gloves. The cold was so sharp that I couldn’t close my hands properly. I dragged my suitcase with one hand, my phone in the other, following a map from the bus stop to the hostel where I’d be staying for the night. I needed to find shelter quickly while also protecting my limbs from frostbite. When there’s no one else to rely on but yourself, you learn to improvise. I wrapped extra clothes around my hands, used my headphones to shield my ears, and walked as fast as I could. Solo travel forces you to trust your own problem-solving skills – and sometimes, that’s where the real adventure begins.
When you’re traveling solo, it’s up to you to decide what to eat, where to stay, and how to get to your next destination. There’s no one else to share the responsibility, or the blame, if something goes wrong. Being in situations where you have to make choices alone builds confidence in your own judgement. Without the constant input or validation from others, you learn to trust your instincts. Every decision, big or small, becomes evidence that you are capable, resourceful, and trustworthy.
Last November, I was staying overnight in London because I had a flight out of Gatwick the next morning. A couple of days before arriving, I decided I would drop my things at the hotel and then take the train into the city to do a bit of exploring and maybe check out the Christmas markets. The day arrived, and there I was on the train, barreling down the track, when a sinking feeling hit me: I wasn’t where I should be. My phone battery was dwindling to zero, and I had a tough decision to make. Should I keep going, even though I needed to switch trains and my phone would be no help within the hour? Or should I turn back and miss out on this chance for a little adventure? At that moment, I decided the smart choice was to turn around and charge my phone. I have all the time in the world to return to London, explore to my heart’s content, and stay safe while doing it. It’s always important to follow your intuition. Like any skill, it gets stronger the more you use it. Another lesson here is that trust doesn’t have to be purely logical; it can also be emotional and instinctual. That day, it was my instinct that made me turn around.
Solo travel also teaches that uncertainty doesn’t have to be scary. In fact, it’s often in the moments where the outcome is unknown that we find the greatest opportunities for self-discovery. The more we build trust in ourselves, the more we believe –not just hope– that we can navigate whatever comes our way.
It also teaches us to become our own support system. The last time I visited my grandparents, I had to figure out how to navigate the trains on my own. Being from the USA, where public transport isn’t as often used, this was my first time traveling longer distances by train. I was both excited and nervous. I took the Amtrak for five hours to Chicago, walked through the city, and switched to the Blue line, which took me to the airport. From there, I flew to London, then hopped from Queen Victoria to King’s Cross, and finally to York, where my grandma was waiting at the station. It was a long journey, and there were plenty of moments where I felt overwhelmed by the unfamiliar, but I kept reminding myself to breathe and keep going. Because I made it through that trip on my own, I felt confident enough to later take the train to visit my cousins without a second thought. The truth is, traveling solo doesn’t just teach you to survive – it shows you that you can thrive.
The trust I built with myself overseas has absolutely carried into my everyday life back home. Now I know I can rely on myself to find solutions to whatever challenges come my way. The key is learning to self-regulate and believing you have what it takes to figure things out. That kind of confidence only grows when you put it into practice.
This is why I think everyone should make time for new experiences. Travel may be temporary, but the self-belief it inspires stays with you long after your bags are unpacked.
Trusting yourself is the greatest souvenir solo travel gives you.
So Reader, where in your life can you grant yourself the opportunity to prove you are capable?
