For the past three years, I’ve noticed that there is an increasing number of solo travelers throughout the world. Even though some people may fear getting lost, feeling unsafe, or feeling alone, there are legitimate reasons why everyone should attempt to travel solo at least once in their lives.

Notably, when traveling with a companion, there is an unexpressed agreement of respect both you and they should abide by. Therefore, there must be a conversation about what each person does and does not want to do. This can be a difficult challenge because there will be moments where your companion might want to participate in a certain event, but you find yourself more interested in another attraction; similarly, this can occur when figuring out what to eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Fortunately, traveling alone gives you the freedom to do what you want without having to ask your travel companion for their permission, and it gives you that space to make all of the decisions by yourself.

Traveling alone also gives you the chance to learn how to be independent and reliable during trips. For example, if you decide to skip a certain attraction because you’re aware of the long lines, then you don’t have to go there. If you would much rather cook the majority of your meals versus eating out, then you have that freedom to do so. That said, if you were with a companion, you would have to reach compromises instead.

During my solo travels, I usually skip out on the majority of the crucial sites and famous restaurants due to their long and expensive lines. Rather, I decided to take advantage of various other activities, such as free walking tours, shopping at the markets, and cooking my own meals. Ultimately, I have found that solo traveling works out the best for me because I avoid both crowded and expensive locations, whereas if I were with a companion, they would have their own prerogative that I would have to keep in mind as well.

Solo traveling may also help to shape a unique experience that might not occur otherwise. Most travelers, especially those who bring companions, tend to go to very popular cities, such as Paris, London, New York City, and San Francisco. However, there are other locations, such as Romania, Greenland, and Rhode Island, that many travelers overlook.

Because these locations are less popular, solo travelers are easily able to roam around without big crowds, and they may even get to meet the locals.

Meeting locals in these less-populated tourist destinations will allow you to learn different lifestyles as well. Thus, consider that when you’re traveling with someone else, you probably won’t take the time to meet local people, so your travel experiences won’t be as immersive.

Additionally, as solo travelers, it can be a bit lonely and even scary to imagine yourself in a location where you’ve never been, but this is the perfect time to meet other travelers who likely have the same fears. This can take place in the accommodation you’re staying, the local supermarket, cafes, pubs, bookstores, restaurants, and even on your way to your destination.

Meeting other solo travelers means having the opportunity to hear their stories and their reasons for deciding on that specific location as well. However, this is only possible if you let go of your shy personality or your fear of others judging you because of your tourist status. At the end of the day, meeting various types of people is fun and can give you a whole new perspective of the world—a perspective that you might have missed out on if you were worried about entertaining a companion.

After a recent trip to Budapest, I spontaneously met several great people and made a good friend during a free walking tour, which the city provides daily for tourists. We all became extremely friendly with one another after chatting for a couple of hours about our desires and our personal anecdotes. Undoubtedly, meeting all of these great people allowed me to become grateful for such memorable experiences and gave me the chance to learn more about various cultures and lifestyles, which I incorporate into my daily life.

If I hadn’t been traveling alone, I likely wouldn’t have spent time meeting so many interesting people, and my travels would have been very different.

Overall, as someone who enjoys learning about everything as she goes, traveling to a new destination brings constant learning experiences. When you give time to certain locations within a new destination, whether it’s free or not, it’s bound to be an opportunity to create research and a new interest in your life. Whatever your motivations may be at the end, consider traveling solo on your next big adventure. You never know how beneficial it might be.