Living full time out of our backpacks and constantly being on the move means we meet a steady stream of new people. Plenty of those are travelling in groups, a large number are families, and many more are coupled up like us. But surprisingly, the overwhelming majority of people that we meet are by themselves.

While most of our jaunts have been as a twosome, occasionally we do also go off alone on separate adventures. Coupled with the fact that we are friends with lots and lots of solo travellers, we’ve learnt a thing or two about journeying independently. Far from it being a sign that you’re a sad Billy no mates, it’s actually an established fact that solo travel makes you a badass. Here’s how.

You become self-sufficient

When you’re travelling in a group or with someone else, it’s quite easy to become interdependent. Generally, you’ll share the responsibility for things like booking flights, finding accommodation and deciding what you’re going to do on a day to day basis with whoever’s accompanying you. But when you’re on your own, all the responsibility falls on your shoulders, which in turn forces you to become completely self-sufficient.

It takes you out of your comfort zone

Even if you’re someone that’s used to spending a lot of time on your own, travelling by yourself is a whole other ball game. You’re thrown into situations that are completely unfamiliar. You don’t have your regular routine to fall back on, and you have to learn to appreciate the silence. Though at the time, being out of your comfort zone might not feel amazing, taking risks and embracing new things will help you grow as a person. And you'll expand what you believe you’re capable of doing.

Your confidence goes through the roof

Whether you’re a wallflower or the life and soul of the party, at first you might be afraid that you’re never going to meet anyone. But you learn how friendly people are and how easy it is to approach and talk to anyone. After a while, you soon start to let go of the inhibitions you had and own the times when you are alone. Solo trip to the museum? Taking in a sunset by yourself? Bring it on. Table for one at the restaurant? No problem.

The hard times make you grow

There are not two ways about it, at times travelling by yourself gets hard. Even the simplest of tasks can become an ordeal when all the responsibility falls on you to figure it out. There’s not always someone to bounce ideas off, to get your back when you get into trouble, or to share a joke with to lighten the mood. But it’s these hard times that build your character and turn you into a warrior. Small things that that would be run of the mill can turn into great accomplishments when you’re on your own, and you’ll start to realise exactly how awesome lil’ ole you is.