“To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” Freya StarkThe room was barely bigger than the single bed it contained. I could touch each wall with my hands standing in the middle (I’m five feet, six inches tall). The walls were clean and white. A flatscreen TV and the faucets in the attached micro bathroom were the only things that made any noise. Well, besides me.I was in a strange town (Bangkok, Thailand to be exact) and I was alone. I had been travelling with a boyfriend for the beginning of an around-the-world trip, but things changed.I’m not going to write here that the decision to travel solo was easy. It wasn’t. I’m not going to begin to try and sell you on the notion that I wasn’t scared. I was.But as we just celebrated, or tried desperately to ignore, Valentine’s Day on Monday it got me to thinking: Why do we fear being solo? Why is being together celebrated? Why do we only celebrate Valentine’s Day for couples (and friends if you are younger than 12)? Why can’t we celebrate independence? Shall we start a day? Anyone got a name? Heroes’s Day? Shoot that’s already taken.What has this got to do with travel? Well as most people will be writing gushy mush about friends who’ve been friends since they were in the womb and couples who cannot bear to be without each other (and need mounds of chocolate and roses to prove it) I am writing the anti-thesis: Ten Reasons Everyone Should Travel Solo.I believe that everyone should be travelling alone at some point in their lives (and I don’t mean on business). Everyone should take a trip somewhere unknown without friends, without a boyfriend (or girlfriend) without, even, a tour guide.But Robyn, why would I travel on my own? I like my boyfriend? Me and my friend do everything together?You want to know why? Well that leads me to one of the most important and the number one reason on my list: it builds a strength and reliance on yourself you will get from very little else in life. When you sleep through your flight from Dallas, Texas to Santiago, Chile at the gate (not that I ever did that!) it is only you who must convince the American Airlines’ staff you are not an idiot (they booked me on the flight the next day and even comped me a hotel room for my mistake).But even better than learning self-reliance (I think) is learning number two is that you have a choice. If you’re in Chiang Mai, Thailand and meet two travel buddies who are going on a three-day motorbike ride through Northern Thailand, you can! There is no debate (well maybe internally) and there is no request for sacrifice from your partner.Which means number three and you want to learn a new skill, such as scuba diving while on the Perhentian Islands in Malaysia, you can! Sure, maybe you could do that if you were with a friend from home or a boyfriend, but what if they already knew how to? Would they be happy to sit in a hut with no electricity between 7am and 7pm? And if they were, would you feel guilty?So four is it gives you a guilt-free travel experience. If you want to go to Laos before visiting Cambodia and the travel buddy you met last week doesn’t want to, well, you find a new travel buddy! Can you do that with a boyfriend? Sure, but it would be a lot harder. Believe me.And travel buddies are easy to find, which brings me to number five: When you travel as a couple or even as a couple of friends, you’re intimidating! Couples (either romantic or otherwise) are islands and approaching them takes quite a bit of effort for other travellers. Equally when you’re a couple you’re less likely to reach-out to those around you.When you’re travelling solo and need to find out how to take the bus from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi, you’re going to have to speak to locals. That makes reason six for travelling solo: meeting the people of the country! You’re more likely to talk to them one-on-one if you’re on your own.Leading to reason seven for travelling solo which is learning to say hello in Cambodian (Sua s’dei) or how are you in Spanish (Cómo estás? or ¿Cómo está?). If you speak only to other travellers or your partner you’re less likely (I think) to actually learn some of the language and even about the culture. Solo? You have to pick-up at least a few words to help yourself.Sure some couples do, but if you’re single? Well you’re forced to.You will also be forced to meet other travellers, which is, of course, number nine! A vegan, Israeli who is going to teach English in Cambodia might share veggie rolls with you in Kanchanaburi. A Swedish architect might go hiking with you into the hills of El Calafate, Argentina. Or maybe you’ll go wine-tasting with a college roommate (you haven’t spoken to in a year) in Buenos Aires. Your travel buddies will be a medley exposing you to new experiences while also providing entertainment.But these all lead to number ten and what travelling solo inevitably provides: the ultimate freedom! Sure you might spend all day trying to find an internet cafe in London, England, but at least you didn’t waste anyone else’s day. What if you find that you love Argentina and you want to stay longer to ensure you see “everything”? Well if you’re on your own guess what..... you can stay as long as your little heart desires (see, see the Valentine’s Day connection?).Which brings me to what I promised to write about last week: Around the World Plane Tickets. I forgot about Valentine’s Day (what does that say?). So next week I promise you’re going to learn all I know (and more) about how I would book those tickets to go around the world (whether with a mate or solo!). Of course visit my website www.robynswanderings.com for more tips and tales and if you have any more tips remember to email me at skinnerrobyn[AT]gmail.com.Adios!