Unnerve your reservations about Solo Trips

Master the art of thou selfies on a solo trip

Traveling in a group has its own perks, just as traveling solo has its. A majority of my travels have been solo trips and I can vouch that they have been some of the most memorable ones indeed. But it wasn't until I got to India that I realized that solo travels are a luxury that only a few could afford,  and not because they can't afford it financially, but because they had parents or close relatives who would keep them from experiencing the best moments of their life. Even in today's day and age, Indian parents have reservations about their daughters venturing out even to the next town on their own. But how does one go from living with parents to living with a husband and then kids without really living on their own and experiencing their personal calling in a country where women are not allowed to live independently and where even finding accommodation as a bachelor is like finding a needle in the haystack?

I am now convinced that you need to be a rebel if you want to experience the same bliss I feel in my own company at a beach, or with a new group of people hiking to the Mekong River in Laos. Or then we take baby steps and travel to the next town first and come home safe, so next time around, they would drop their guards and allow you to travel solo to a destination on your bucket list. But before them, you must be convinced.

Wake up at your own time- Yes you heard me right. Sleep in and wake up whenever your heart desires! No friends to rush you. The bane of traveling in a group is that you have to go by everyone's timing and you may not get to enjoy that hotel bed, as much as you had imagined.

Find a new perspective- You will be surprised by how you act when left to your own devices. You may stare endlessly at the waves approaching you, without anyone there to call you out on it. Best thing ever is that you learn to be self-reliant and confident.

Get introduced to the real you- And wouldn't it be nice to meet your real self? Heck, you can even have conversations with your head and allow that to be your journal. You actually end up learning what you really enjoy and what you don't. And as Paulo Coelho was trying to teach us in The Alchemist, you may arrive at decipher the mystery of your life's personal legend.

Your wish is your command- You don't have to do something you are not in the mood for or comfortable doing. Skip the bar, if you'd rather go for a massage instead. No stress equals more peace and more peace equals happiness.

Meet more people like or unlike you- Wouldn't be nice to meet complete strangers who share their experiences with you? And no, it is not the same as traveling in a group, because you may choose to not hang out with them again if you don't want to. I don't think you could do that with friends.

Now you see I do miss having someone known to take my pics, but I have mastered the art of the selfie and also have a knack for convincing passersby to go snap, snap, snap!

And as it is rightly said, if you can travel on your own, you can embrace any of life's challenges with a smile! So convinced? Next steps? Have that talk with your parents!