Hello adventurer 👋 

Happy hump day!

It’s week 6 of my accountability challenge with my friends (we’re all sending one newsletter a week) and I’m really enjoying it.

It’s been so great staying accountable for something, because this newsletter is something I would have put off and off and off.

Last week, I told you about my Freelancer Community on WhatsApp and the offer still stands to join.

It’s a completely free WhatsApp community where you can ask questions and ask for business advice from other freelancers / business owners! 😀 

And we also sometimes post in jobs. 🙌 

I asked you to vote for the newsletter topic again and this time I’m sharing my thoughts on solo travel 🗺️

✨ 3 reasons why travelling solo changed my life… ✨ 

CONFIDENCE

I used to be an introvert. I was very socially anxious, felt like I didn’t know how to make friends and I was just not very social overall.

I’ve had many different solo travel experiences… I moved to Australia to study abroad, I travelled around Asia by myself, I moved to Thailand to teach English, I travelled more, all by myself, yet I was never really alone.

There are SO many people, in the places that I’ve travelled solo, that are also all on their own.

And trust me, when no one knows you, and when you feel a little lonely, you’ll put yourself out of your comfort zone and start up a chat with someone in your hostel.

And you’ll be friends in no time, forgetting that the first few seconds felt so awkward.

The best way to meet people when you travel solo is by staying in hostels, joining group trips or group activities, reaching out to people online if you’re crossing paths, or using apps like MeetUp or Hostelworld Chat to meet people.

Usually, hostels do the trick for me.

Now, I can confidently say that these experiences have completely transformed my confidence levels.

I feel comfortable around people, I often strike up conversations with strangers and I’m not really afraid to say, or ask anything.

And I believe this has led me to some incredible opportunities and moments in life.

OPEN MIND

Travelling opens up your eyes to the world. And if done right, it can completely transform your mindset.

For me, I feel that ‘anything goes’ in life.

The only available toilet is two planks of wood over a hole in the ground full of pee and poo in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan? OK, I’ll go.

Have to stand for a 7 hour train journey in Sri Lanka? OK, I’ll sit on the floor if I get tired.

Sanitisation levels = questionable? Oh well…

Nothing really phases me.

Travel definitely opened my mind to culture and people and taught me how to handle difficult situations.

And it definitely made me more resilient.

Put yourself out of your comfort zone and I promise you, great things will happen.

And if they’re not great in the moment, they’ll teach you a lesson.

INDEPENDENCE / FREEDOM / GROWTH

I know that’s a lot in one topic, but I only want to give 3 reasons, to keep this email (kind of) short.

Although, I could go on all day about solo travel.

Solving problems and facing challenges on your travels definitely builds character.

Making daily decisions makes you more independent.

And having the option to choose to do absolutely anything you wish, gives you so much freedom.

You have no one else to rely on, no one else to please and no one else to tell you that you need to stick to a plan.

And my top tip, is to not plan too much.

This will then give you the freedom and flexibility to change your plans if you meet some new friends or get a recommendation from someone.

You may then have experiences you would never have had if you had a plan to follow.

SO WHY SHOULD YOU GO?

Solo travel truly is an adventure.

It makes you more resilient, independent and confident.

And along with leaving you with a lifetime of memories, it completely changes your way of thinking if you go out, challenge yourself and truly experience the world.

Some great starting points for your first solo trip

I personally think South East Asia is one of the easiest places to travel solo.

Thailand is a great starting point and you’ll meet SO many other backpackers.

If you have more time, continue onto Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam.

In Europe, I haven’t spent much time backpacking and I’ve more so done roadtrips, but from speaking to people and some loose experience, Krakow was a cool little spot and I met some other travellers, and Budapest, Prague, Lisbon, Amsterdam, Vienna, Ljubljana are cool cities to meet other backpackers.

And if you just want a small solo trip to start with, go for a coffee, then a meal, and then a night away and see how it feels.

If you ever have any questions about travelling, DM me on Instagram, or respond to this email and I’ll be happy to help.

Some bits you may be interested in

Want to start an online business and work from anywhere like me? Hop on a 1:1 coaching call with me - book HERE.

There’s also a paid online community on the way. Here, I will teach you how to start a business and you’ll be part of a community of people who want to do the same. Fill out this form to be the first to know when it launches.

Teach English online or move abroad and teach with TEFL: all courses on tefl.ie are 16% cheaper with code EV16.

Don’t skip out on travel insurance! You can start your SafetyWing policy at any point of your trip, even if you have left your country of origin.

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Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading, subscribing and following, and feel free to reply to this email with any questions, suggestions or feedback.

Ev x