Break out of your comfort zone, just for the fun of it

Why travel the world by yourself? Why not? Whether it’s wandering city streets, zoning out by yourself on the beach or getting lost in translation, solo travel allows you to explore the big wide world, while exploring your inner thoughts.

Globetrotting alone across Europe after college sounds fun but traveling solo when you’ve got a career, a mortgage, kids – it’s whole lot scarier and a whole lot more rewarding. Suddenly you have the freedom to choose where you want to go, what you want to do making long term memories and maybe some short term friends. Behold the power of you.

Why Canadian women travel alone – and why you should too!

Stepping out of your life for a short time, whether its travel to a beach in Mexico or a spa three cities away from your own, gives a new perspective. I’m not talking about the “eat-pray-love-mumbo-jumbo-life-changing-travel” – just time spent on your own terms.

A travel report commissioned by Booking.com shows an overwhelming majority of Canadian women choose to travel solo – 76% of those polled. What’s more, half of the women polled said they’re considering a solo vacation in the next 12 months.

But what’s driving Canadian women to take flight? During the month of May, GoGirlfriend will be working with Booking.com, diving deep into the many reasons why women travel solo, how they manage safety while on the road and how they plan ahead for travel from home.

“Canadians are prolific travelers, so it’s no surprise to us Canadian women are leading this trend globally,” said Paul Hennessy, CMO, Booking.com. “Our research found travelling solo allows Canadian women to indulge in what seems to be a rare commodity in our fast-paced world: time alone. With all of the resources available at their fingertips online at Booking.com, women can instantly find out everything they need about a vacation property.”

Traveling solo, not alone

While Canadian women are more likely to check into relaxing spa resort when they travel alone, they’re not checking out of social media. In fact, social media seems to be driving confidence up, allowing women to keep in touch with their families and friends while carving out time to be alone. Seven out of 10 women who travel solo use social platforms to stay in touch and instill a sense of safety.

What if you want to take a trip by yourself but not be alone? Many of our GoGirlfriend travel writers can show you how they do it – solo travel comes in many different forms.

I travel a lot by myself but I’m rarely alone – unless I truly want to be. When I travel by myself, time is my own. And it’s glorious. Here on GoGirlfriend, I’ve written a lot about traveling solo, exploring unique venues like Isla Mujeres, the 7 deadly sins of (lazy) travelers and lux vacation spots like the Shangri-La in Vancouver.

Some of our writers enjoy traveling solo too and have written extensively on it, from tips and tricks to life-changing essays that will feed your wanderlust. So go ahead and steal a bit from all of us and I bet you'll find the winning strategy for you.

• Ashely Welton is chief adventure copywriter and brand anthropologist at Miniskirt Ninja and a GoGirlfriend solo travel gal. Her posts focus on safety and travel planning with a whole lot of fun thrown in. Read more from Ashley Welton.
• Holly Rosen Fink discovered her unfulfilled wanderlust in a trip to Asia with a girlfriend. “After I turned 40, I knew that I needed time to myself to fulfill a part of me that had been dormant since giving birth. To be able to roam through alley ways, nip into cafes, stay up for hours if I choose to, go to concerts, operas or old movies at night, take long boat rides, hike up mountain, wander through markets, take photos and just talk to the locals.” Read more on Holly’s inspiring journey.
• Meaghan Coneybeare loves anything and everything travel related. She travels with her girlfriends, her husband and often by herself – just for the chance to get to know herself better. Enjoy all of Meaghan’s travel posts.

Connect with us on Twitter and Facebook – and let’s continue the conversation!

To comply with the long list of regulating bodies, possibly even Geneva Conventions and in the interest of transparency, GoGirlfriend has been compensated as the Canadian advocate for Booking.com for the month of May. Commentary and perspectives are those of GoGirlfriend.

About Booking.com:

Booking.com is the world leader in booking hotel and other accommodations online. It guarantees the best prices for any type of property – from small independents to five-star luxury. Guests can access the Booking.com website anytime, anywhere from their desktops, mobile phones and tablet devices, and they don’t pay booking fees – ever. The Booking.com website is available in 42 languages, offers more than 450,000 hotels and accommodations in 200 countries, features 27+ million reviews written by guests after their stay, and attracts online visitors from both leisure and business markets around the globe. With over 17 years of experience and a team of over 6,500 dedicated employees in 115+ offices worldwide, Booking.com operates its own in-house customer service team, which is available 24/7 to assist guests in their native languages and ensure an exceptional customer experience.

Established in 1996, Booking.com B.V. owns and operates Booking.com™, and is part of The Priceline Group (NASDAQ: PCLN). Follow us on Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest, like us on Facebook, or learn more at http://www.booking.com.