For me, travel is the best form of education. I find I learn and grow so much when I place myself in environments outside the one I live in, the one that is so familiar. I?m an independent person so I’m pretty comfortable being on my own. Journeying halfway around the world last month reminded me of the many benefits of traveling alone. On the long ride home I jotted down some thoughts on the topic.
I?ve taken dozens of business trips on my own so I?m comfortable getting around and relying on myself, and last week I returned from a trip to Australia, a trip I took without friends or family.  A friend of mine expressed on my return how nervous she?d be if she was on her own and how I felt about traveling alone. Years ago I was inspired to begin taking trips alone after reading Anne Morrow Lindberg?s Gift from the Sea, a short and easy read but still relevant and inspiring even though the book is over 50 years old. It?s about a woman who spends a week by herself in a cottage on the ocean and in the book she reflects on motherhood and too how we complicate our lives. I try to read it once a year. Traveling alone takes confidence, it requires courage and stepping outside your comfort zone even in the face of nagging insecurities or fears. You can practice being brave by traveling alone. You can learn so much about yourself by exploring the world without a travel partner.
 
 
 
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