It's a common myth that one is the loneliest number--if you're a traveler, going solo can be one of the most enriching life decisions you'll ever make. It's a risk that thousands of people take each year, whether it's to find solitude and inner peace or to meet new people you never would have ever imagined (or both). And let's face it--while our friends and family are lovely, having to make choices for only one person is far less stressful and infinitely more freeing.
Should you be tempted by the adventures of independent travel, there's no better place to start than BootsnAll, a community of backpackers and wanderers who have taken what they've learned and loved and channeled it into an informational goldmine and one-stop shop for planning.
Let's skip to the best part: BootsnAll has an innovative widget that allows users to create and print their own personal travel guides for some of the solo traveler's most popular international destinations, and many of the guides have a choice between languages--their London guide has over a dozen alone. The guides are comprehensive and specific and as good as any you'll find in a bookstore.
The other shining feature of BootsnAll is their regularly-updated, wide-ranging collection of travel articles--topics can start anywhere from a first-person account of a trip to Accra, Ghana to an opinion/informational piece about why travel guides aren't the ideal way to hash out a journey plan, and how to work around recommendations to make a trip your own (using their free travel guides, of course). It's all oriented toward the budget-minded and risk-taking demographic, a group of people that could stand to grow.
If you're having reservations or need advice about upcoming travels, their message boards foster a nurturing, knowledgeable community of independent travel veterans--it's mostly skewed toward European places, but there's expansion happening for all regions. Upon your returning, you'll more than likely want to be the one giving advice--probably the reason why the community has thrived in the first place.
So if you're looking for something new and exciting for your next jaunt, why not go it alone? There's far more to gain than you're probably telling yourself. And if you're young and single, you really have no excuse. Unless you're penniless. But even that can be worked around if you set your mind to it. If I haven't convinced you yet, check out BootsnAll. We want pictures when you get back, too.
"Take a risk just for yourself, and wade into the deep end of the ocean." (Noah Lennox)
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