3. Control Your Own Path
I consider myself a social loner. I prefer to travel completely alone than with friends or in a group of people. I will just say it, I do not like to compromise. When you travel solo, everything, and I mean everything, is in your own hands. That sense of independence does wonders for the soul. You alone have control over your finances, your itinerary, and your daily routine. No one forces you to be somewhere at a specific time or participate in an activity you could really do without. No one judges you for what you spend (or do not spend).
I personally love staying in luxury hotels during my solo travels. I just naturally gravitate toward hotels that have high levels of service, especially when I’m alone. Knowing I can call the concierge at any time for great tips put me at ease. I always feel like the hotel staff are looking out for me as a solo female traveler.
I normally do not land in a destination with a pre-planned list of attractions or a detailed itinerary. I much prefer to use concierges or locals I meet in each destination to do my planning. I’ll never forget my first stay at The Ritz-Carlton in Doha when I was 27 years old. I went down to the lobby the day after I arrived to ask the concierge what amazing activity he could recommend for that day. There was a fishing tour on the Persian Ocean scheduled, and I jumped on board. It ended up that there were around 100 U.S. military members on the tour, with only about five female soldiers and myself. I continued encountering them over the six weeks of my stay and even joined a few for jet skiing and various nightlife activities. They were all super caring and kind. Without that concierge, I would have never planned a fishing boat trip during my stay.
