Traveling Alone

I have always loved traveling, and with family spread out all over the country (mother's side is in San Francisco and my dad is from Boston) have been fortunate enough to travel a lot, especially with my family. Now that I am in London, it's weird being really on my own for the first time and thinking that now the Atlantic Ocean separates me from my parents. 

Although I am in the honeymoon phase of being abroad where everything is still new and I'm more enchanted by everything, there are going to be points that get frustrating, difficult and stressful (not thinking negatively, but realistically!). I am planning a couple of weekend trips with the people in my program who I love, but have really started to understand and value the importance of traveling alone. 

I am an introvert (an INFJ to be specific for any psychology people) and have been my whole life. As much as I love people, I value alone time like it's God's gift to Earth. This is something that family and friends who are more extroverted have never really understood, but I am very much in my head most of the time. For me, whether it's down the street to dinner, a new neighborhood or new country, traveling alone has proven to be important for these reasons:

Perspective | It's really incredible how much you can absorb when you aren't talking to other people you wouldn't normally, take a long way home or just see something in a completely different way. 

Piece of Mind | This is very useful for making sure that you don't burn out. When doing a lot of things and being surrounded by people constantly- sometimes by the time you realize, it's too late.

Your Agenda | Whether it's going into that store you've been meaning to go into for ages or just take your time in a museum, sometimes it feels good to do something for yourself (sounds selfish, but it's true!)

So go out and explore! Have a great weekend!