Travelling Solo: Make It The Most Rewarding Experience
Gone are the days when you had to plan months in advance before travelling. The age of the information allows for making well-researched decisions in a matter of days. The real quest of this article is to help you understand how solo backpacking benefits people. Do we get something more than the momentary pleasure of escapism or does it change us while we visit new places, face challenges, make friendships and learn lifelong lessons?
When you look at travel beyond all the superficial charms of tourist places, you discover a very lively classroom in session. The world around us is a university, everyone in the scene is a teacher and a student. You are here to learn important and sometimes, unnecessary things that life has to offer. Be it Steve Jobs, Pankaj Tripathi, or the great Beatles, everyone came out a bit changed after their long backpacking experiences. Rudyard Kipling wrote Kim, a great adventure novel that lights up the creative corners of your brain with awe and imagination, while travelling in Bundi, Rajasthan.
Schools and universities understand the importance of travel and that is one of the reasons they promote picnics and other outdoor activities/events. Our childhood is a treasure trove of numerous travel experiences with our parents, friends and families. But, travelling solo is one of the most powerful and life-altering experiences.
Let us explore the benefits of backpacking trips.
Also Read: Budget-Friendly Travel To Eastern States of India
A Journey To Know Yourself
Long backpacking trips are different from organised tours and family trips. Backpacking literally means living out of a backpack. It could go on for several months and in some cases, years. All your essential belongings like clothes, toiletries, slippers, first aid kit, and warm and waterproof equipment need to be packed. All that you need from outside is food and shelter.
Backpacking is all about budget travel. The focus is on spending money wisely, staying at budget-friendly places and eating at hygienic joints. These limitations help you stay on the road for as long as you can.
As you come face to face with a mix of cultures, languages, landscapes, architecture, festivals, and cuisines, the diversity of life is bound to leave a deep impact on your senses. These memories you will carry with you for a long time.
You will get a deep insight into human nature. All the conversations, negotiations and dealing with so many people on a regular basis, will bring out the best negotiation skills and people skills in you. This learning comes handy when even at work, when you have to negotiate ideas, salaries and even persuade your teammates and bosses. You realise what your strengths and weaknesses are, helping you forge a wiser perspective of looking at situations and issues.
Travellers Can Be Good Leaders
Confidence
Travellers have a lot in common with great leaders. Apart from being in charge of your well-being, after taking so many decisions on your journey, the good and the bad ones, you are able to weigh the pros and cons of your choices and arrive at the best choice. You are also better equipped to deal with wrong decisions. This confidence is what makes great leaders. It is what you learn when you expose yourself to situations and come out victorious is an essential ingredient of great leadership.
Humility and Empathy
Real India lies beyond the city boundaries. The small towns and villages touch your heart with their hospitality. Whether it’s the Spiti Valley or the coastline of Kerala, locals are generally kind to travellers. Those who bear harsh conditions everyday strive to make travellers comfortable with whatever they have to offer.
There could be some unfortunate incidents of cheating, but there the balance usually tilts to instances of them helping you. You learn that a majority of people are very much like you, facing life’s challenges everyday. You learn to be more humble and more empathetic. A trait leaders often say matters the most while working with their staff.
Facing Challenges
While backpacking, remember to accept change of plans. There will be days when everything will challenge you - the weather, your health, or some scamster. Remember that the only way out of a challenge is to overcome it. You will eventually know the art of dealing with things and facing almost anything that comes your way. Great leaders face challenges, overcome them and help others through their experiences.
Also Read: Affordable West India Destinations For Student Travellers
What Backpacking Teaches You
Treasure Trove Of Soft Skills
There is no other activity as a solo trip that helps you learn so many skills. On your journey with all the efforts required to begin with the whole planning, dealing with people, conversing, sometimes negotiating or even persuading, on your backpacking trip you are sure to inculcate a variety of soft skills. Compare it to the work environment; you get better at management, adaptability, teamwork and acceptance. This has far-reaching effects on your personality and how to progress in life.
Change For The Better
You also become better at learning things when you travel. When you experiment with new cultures and cuisines, you learn to accept change. Your brain is constantly developing new neural networks and getting better at doing it. This helps you get a better understanding of people, learn their language, and understand their customs. Professionally you become an asset to your team as you are open to varied experiences and are a pro at accepting change.
Assimilate Experience
Experiences have a way of changing you and becoming a part of your memories. As we grow, memories become a reservoir from which we often draw inspiration and lessons. On the other hand, things or materials simply mean convenience and nothing more. Backpacking solo helps you understand the value of experiences over the value of things.
Champions Of Sustainability
Backpackers understand the importance of minimalism. If you ever come across pro travellers, you will always see them carrying a metal water bottle and a steel cup that helps them generate less waste. Food is a personal matter but we have seen a lot of backpackers going vegan for the sake of overall wellness of mind and body, and healthier planet earth.
Backpackers are the champions of sustainability because they experience first hand how cities and habits of the majority affect nature. They are more likely to practise an eco-friendly approach while travelling and for the rest of their lives as well.
Sensitivity and Acceptance
You realise that wherever you travel, we are all one. Irrespective of religion, caste and colour of the skin, you see how open-minded travellers are. It is the training ground for the conscious to become open and accepting. Travelling instils the value of sensitivity towards people and nature and acceptance of things that are different from yourself.
Learn To Choose For Yourself
Travelling helps you know what ideals you wish to stick to and what kind of life you wish to design after meeting many people and visiting places. Self-awareness leads to making better choices when it comes to choosing things, careers, friends or anything else for yourself.
Backpacking India or any other country does you immense good. There are challenges beyond the comfort of our homes but things are beautiful. People seldom remain their old self after any long backpacking solo trip because they are faced with the realities of life. It helps you learn numerous soft skills and offers you a wider and more enriching perspective to look at the world. It helps you become a leader who can help others and live life to its fullest.
Also Read: Five Beautiful, Budget-Friendly Travel Destination In South India
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Food Scientist
A career as a food scientist requires working full-time in the laboratory. He or she analyses data, works on computer programmes, and monitors the processors involved in food production. He or she examines raw materials and surroundings to detect problems. A food scientist is employed in research universities, government agencies, departments, and private entities such as food production facilities in order to do research work in terms of studying food production, storage, and transportation facilities.
Food Inspector
A career as a food inspector comes with the responsibility to ensure the food is healthy for human consumption. A food inspector inspects the food processing entities, manufacturing companies, restaurants, and dairy farms to collect samples for investigating the quality of food ingredients and preservatives being used in the food product to be sold in the market. Continue reading to learn everything you need to know about how to become a food inspector.
Food Engineer
A Food Engineer is a professional who is responsible for processing, packaging, and improving food products. He or she either works in the agricultural or food processing industry holding the responsibility of ensuring higher quality of food products including safety, supply, nutrition, and value.
Food Technologist
Food technologists are responsible for developing healthy and safe food. They ensure the food being produced is hygienic and tastes the finished product. A Food technologist's career requires working in product development and with food product suppliers. This study is a blend of principles of management, science, and marketing to produce or develop quality and hygienic food.
Family Social Worker
In a career as family social worker, an individual help those people who grow up in dysfunctional families and suffer from mild to extreme dysfunction. Some people are able to overcome the obstacles that childhood brought them and have a positive impact on the future. This negative behavior brings great pressure on family members. Sometimes they need help to learn how to deal with certain family situations or problems faced on a personal level. Individuals who opt for a career as family social worker can help restore harmony by providing services to families in crisis.
Chef
Individuals in chef career path work responsibilities include planning the menu, observing the kitchen, and supervising the entire kitchen staff. In the beginning, a trainee chef might be asked to wash dishes, clean the kitchen, and chop vegetables. There is a gradual process of learning and growth to reach the final destination ‘head chef’.
Every restaurant needs a culinarian and the country has a thousand great restaurant chains. So, there are immense career opportunities as well. In this article, we will discuss Chef roles and responsibilities, how to become a Chef in India, Chef skills, Chef eligibility, how to become chef after 12th and Chef qualification.
Linguist
Linguistic meaning is related to language or Linguistics which is the study of languages. A career as a linguistic meaning, a profession that is based on the scientific study of language, and it's a very broad field with many specialities. Famous linguists work in academia, researching and teaching different areas of language, such as phonetics (sounds), syntax (word order) and semantics (meaning).
Other researchers focus on specialities like computational linguistics, which seeks to better match human and computer language capacities, or applied linguistics, which is concerned with improving language education. Still, others work as language experts for the government, advertising companies, dictionary publishers and various other private enterprises. Some might work from home as freelance linguists. Philologist, phonologist, and dialectician are some of Linguist synonym. Linguists can study French, German, Italian.
Event Manager
Event Managers are professionals responsible for planning, organising, and executing various types of events, ensuring they run smoothly and meet the desired objectives. They coordinate all aspects, from selecting venues and managing budgets to overseeing logistics and collaborating with suppliers. Event Managers work closely with clients to understand their goals and tailor events accordingly.
Event Managers manage teams, delegate tasks, and handle unexpected challenges to ensure events are successful. Strong organisational, communication, and problem-solving skills are vital in this role. They operate in diverse settings, including corporate, social, and entertainment events, and may work independently or for event management companies.
Also read: Bachelor of Event Management (BEM) Course
Travel Agent
A travel agent works in the tour and travel industry. His or her work responsibility involves arranging travel for the end clients such as individuals, corporations, or groups on behalf of suppliers such as hotels, airlines, package tours, and other facilities. A travel agent involves working for an independent travel agency or can be a part of a travel agency.
Individuals who opt for a career as a travel agent are involved in planning trips for their clients in their day-to-day life. Travel agents stay updated about the hospitality and travel industry. Students can pursue some travel agent courses, such as BTTM (Bachelor of Tourism and Travel Management), and MTHM (Master in Tourism and Hotel Management) to become a travel agent.
Hotel Manager
A hotel manager manages the hotel staff and services provided to clients and guests. Individuals in the hotel management career path, negotiate on contracts with vendors providing various services in the hotel. He or she coordinates with different departments to ensure that the best services and facilities are provided to guests.
The hotel manager manages the hotel's budget. He or she supervises staff and maintains rules and regulations. The hotel manager handles customer relationships and solves their issues. Here, in this article, we will discuss the details of a hotel management career, and how to get into a hotel management career.
Food Stylist
A food stylist is a culinary art specialist who is responsible for making the food look arranged in a presentable way decked up with accessories for a close shot. He or she works with chefs, photographers and editors.
Bartender
The bartender is the person who mixes and serves drinks at the bar. He or she helps the people to serve drinks at parties which adds to the glamour of the event or the night and makes the environment like a party mood. It is difficult to plan parties without the help of a bartender serving beers and alcohol with all the mixing techniques.
Students can pursue BHM (Bachelor of Hotel Management), or other related courses to opt for a bartender career in India. Here, in this article, we will discuss the details of how to become a Bartender in India, bartending a good job, bartender career growth, bartender roles and responsibilities, bartender courses in India, and bartender skills.
Station Master
A Station Master is also known as SM in its abbreviated form. He or she is an executive employed by Indian Railway Recruitment Board responsible for running trains at a station. The role of Station Master comes with the responsibility of being in charge of running trains at the station assigned to him or her.
A career as Station Master requires to holds the responsibility to operate signals and ensure everything is as per the railway rules and regulations. The primary responsibility of the Station Master is ensuring that all the passenger amenities are fit and fine at his or her station so that travellers do not face any problems.
Linguist
Linguistic meaning is related to language or Linguistics which is the study of languages. A career as a linguistic meaning, a profession that is based on the scientific study of language, and it's a very broad field with many specialities. Famous linguists work in academia, researching and teaching different areas of language, such as phonetics (sounds), syntax (word order) and semantics (meaning).
Other researchers focus on specialities like computational linguistics, which seeks to better match human and computer language capacities, or applied linguistics, which is concerned with improving language education. Still, others work as language experts for the government, advertising companies, dictionary publishers and various other private enterprises. Some might work from home as freelance linguists. Philologist, phonologist, and dialectician are some of Linguist synonym. Linguists can study French, German, Italian.
Travel Agent
A travel agent works in the tour and travel industry. His or her work responsibility involves arranging travel for the end clients such as individuals, corporations, or groups on behalf of suppliers such as hotels, airlines, package tours, and other facilities. A travel agent involves working for an independent travel agency or can be a part of a travel agency.
Individuals who opt for a career as a travel agent are involved in planning trips for their clients in their day-to-day life. Travel agents stay updated about the hospitality and travel industry. Students can pursue some travel agent courses, such as BTTM (Bachelor of Tourism and Travel Management), and MTHM (Master in Tourism and Hotel Management) to become a travel agent.
Travel Journalist
A travel journalist is one who travels to different locations, explores them, and researches their history and cultural heritage. The travel journalist plans and organises the trip and looks after factors such as bookings, routes, destinations to visit, expenses, and other logistics. The travel journalist writes about the experience throughout the journey on various social media platforms, magazines, or even blogs.
He or she might also create travel guidebooks or memoirs to guide other tourists through his or her experience. Here, in this article, we will be discussing what a travel journalist does, travel journalist's salary is, how to become a travel journalist, how a travel journalist is in India, what a travel journalist's job description is, and what is travel journalism.
Travel Planner
A travel planner is a professional who assists clients or people in planning and organising their trips. He or she is responsible for making arrangements for the client's travel requirements such as reservations, booking flights, and arranging transport. A travel planner may also visit the holiday destinations and resorts to help the clients make informed decisions.
In a career as a travel planner, he or she must design cost-effective travel packages according to the client's needs and budget and provide the best recommendations to them. The travel planner oversees the negotiations for the accommodation, transportation, rental companies, tour guides and restaurants for the clients to get the maximum benefits of trips.