I am not one of those people who takes spontaneous risks or can make friends with complete strangers. Yet I traveled to London, England this summer for over two weeks all by myself. I flew to London to take a two-week summer course in fashion styling and media at the London College of Fashion. While taking the course was the main reason I wanted to go to London, besides obviously getting to spend 18 days in Europe, I had another reason for being so excited for my solo trip.
I never gave much thought to being alone until this past year. There’s lots of talk about many people, especially millennials, don’t like being alone and are never really alone now thanks to social media (FOMO is real). But I never felt that really applied to me since I’ve always enjoyed my time alone. My sophomore year changed that for me, though. It was the hardest year of my life and being alone became a really hard challenge to face. So on a spontaneous whim, I decided to take a summer course all the way in London, England.
Taking my summer class in London was an incredible experience. Through my course at the London College of Fashion, I was able to meet other students who shared my interests, and I got to network with industry professionals and learn about different topics I don’t have the opportunity to experience at my college in the US. Plus, I had a marvelous time getting to travel and explore London on my own for over two weeks! But the most important aspect of my trip was that I did it all alone.
I went from disliking being alone at the end of my sophomore year to doing everything by myself in London and loving it. It was very freeing being able to control everything on my own. I loved being the one who was calling all the shots in my life. We get so caught up in what other people think and wanting to please others that we forget to prioritize ourselves. And since I’ve been back from my trip, I actually want to do stuff by myself. I think it would’ve been nice to have friends or family go with me on my trip, and there were times I wanted them to be there, but I wouldn’t give up this experience for anything.
I learned a lot about myself from going abroad, as one does, but I think I was expecting some grand life-altering self-discovery. What I truly gained from this trip was confidence. Being on my own showed me how to be more in touch with who I am and how being confident alone can make me a stronger person. So if you ever have the opportunity to do something alone, I have two words for you: do it!
What experiences have you done by yourself that you enjoyed and that made you feel stronger? Let me know in the comments below!
