Introverted? Extroverted? Which is Best For Solo Travel?
Anyone can travel solo, but is there a personality type that fits the solo travel experience better?
Planning your first solo trip is most likely going to be a solitary activity.
It involves you thinking about the different places you would visit on your solo trip and what types of activities you would enjoy while traveling on your own.
Because of that, it’s easy to think of solo travel as an experience meant only for the most introverted of travelers.
In reality, the whole idea of solo travel and “making it on your own” is very much an extroverted activity as much as it is an introverted one.
With that in mind, it’s important to understand that solo travel is best approached with a balance between introversion and extroversion.
Being on the extreme end of either of these can cause problems that can make solo travel feel stressful or unfulfilling.
The Perfect Balance?
So is there a perfect balance between introversion and extroversion?
The answer to that is no. Most people will never be completely in the middle of that spectrum.
The trick is to find a balance between the personality type you lean towards and the opposite personality type.
So How Do I Find Balance?
You can approach this problem in all sorts of different ways, but what worked for me was to start from the very beginning.
Start with the most basic questions and ask yourself: What are all the things that I want to do? What are all my current interests? Do those activities lean more towards introversion or extroversion?
Maybe those activities have elements of both? If so, what are the elements that make it an introverted or extroverted activity?
Asking yourself these questions can help you identify the types of things your personality naturally gravitates towards.
When you have a better idea of what that is, you can then start asking yourself more complicated questions like, How can I make an introverted activity more extroverted? Is there a way I can add a more extroverted activity to that introverted activity?
What I’m trying to get at is that you have to find out what personality type you lean towards.
Then find an activity that mainly involves that specific personality type, and then find a way to add more of the opposite personality type into that activity.
In this way, you’ll be able to practice being either more of an introverted or extroverted person while also staying true to the personality type that you naturally lean towards.
Adding Solo Travel To The Mix
After giving some thought to the different ways you can balance out your natural personality type,
You can then start thinking about how your personality type will fit into the solo travel experience.
Again, it’s good to start from the beginning and ask yourself: What makes up the solo travel experience?
The Solo Travel Experience?
From my experience, a big part of solo travel is learning how to adapt to spontaneous situations you might run into during your travels.
This is why solo travel requires you to have both elements of introversion and extroversion; you never know what you might run into.
For instance, you might find yourself in a place where you’re completely alone and don’t know anyone around you.
It’s even more of a challenge if you’re coming from another country or culture altogether.
This example will force you to either put yourself out there and meet people or try something you’ve never done before (extroversion).
But at the same time, you’ll have to find a way to enjoy your own company while you find your bearings and learn about the area and culture on your own (introversion).
While there are many other examples of situations where your introversion and extroversion are necessary to get results, this example is most likely the first experience most people will have when traveling solo for the first time.
You’ll have to think about how your personality will handle situations like the example above.
Extremely introverted travelers will most likely have a difficult time trying to meet people, but will more than likely be ok mentally due to many introverts tendency to find enjoyment in solitude.
While more extroverted travelers might find it easier to befriend others, they may struggle with the “solo” parts of solo travel.
This could have extroverts struggling with mental issues like depression or having stronger feelings of loneliness compared to introverts.
As you can see, it’s good to put your personality into perspective before buying your ticket on the solo travel bandwagon.
Advice On Activities To Practice For Your Personality Type
Every solo traveler should have at least two (or more) activities or hobbies they should do while traveling on their own.
You probably know where this is going, but I recommend having at least one hobby that relies on an introverted way of thinking and one hobby that requires a more extroverted approach.
For my introverted hobby, as you might have already guessed, I chose writing and blogging.
I’m a huge fan of blogging just because it’s a good way to put your thoughts into perspective while also potentially making a career out of it.
As for the extroverted hobby, I simply chose meeting new people as my main extroverted hobby or activity.
I try to meet new people everywhere I go. I try to think outside the box in terms of how to strike up conversations or think of different ways I can meet others.
It’s a simple idea, but in my mind, it’s the ultimate extroverted hobby to have while traveling solo.
A good alternative (if that activity is a little too basic for you) is playing sports.
Every country has its own love for a specific type of sport. Trying different sports around the world can be a great way to branch out into all sorts of other hobbies while also meeting other people in the process.
(If you want more advice on hobbies and other activities for solo travel, check out the post: Solo Travel Hobbies? How To Make Travel More Worthwhile)
Of course, I have other hobbies, but I just used the two examples above since they’re hobbies that almost any traveler can get into right away.
Having this type of mindset before setting out on your own would save future solo travelers from a lot of stressful situations and help you build a more balanced personality for solo travel.
What Else To Consider When Thinking About Personality Type?
There will always be people out there who will ignore advice and decide to do whatever they want.
Which is understandable; if you consider yourself to be highly introverted or extroverted, this won’t necessarily stop you from traveling solo.
It’s just that a big part of solo travel is experiencing something completely new and meeting people you aren’t used to being around.
If you aren’t at least open to being a little more outgoing or are afraid of being alone,
(You won’t always be alone, but it will still happen when traveling solo.)
You may not have the best experience when traveling solo.
Due to the spontaneous and ever-changing nature of travel, it only makes sense to have a more “middle of the road” sort of mindset when thinking about how your personality will fit into solo travel.
If you plan on traveling, it would be wise to keep this in mind, especially if you plan on constant solo travel for a long period of time.
Maintaining balance is important when handling situations when traveling on your own. Building this confidence will make solo travel a more enjoyable and fulfilling pursuit.
If you want to read more about solo travel head over to traksandpaks.com for more advice and other useful information for first-time solo travelers.
