This is Why You Should Solo Travel at Least Once in Your Life

We’re firm believers that everyone should solo travel at least once in their life. Not only are there amazing benefits – like moving at your own pace – but it also teaches you a lot about yourself and the world. There’s so many reasons you should travel on your own, so we’ve shared our top reasons you should travel solo.

  1. You get to go at your own pace.

    • Arguably the best part of solo travel is that you get to decide where you want to go, when you want to go. Wake up not feeling like dealing with crowds? Take a rest day and head to a park or the beach with your fav book or podcast. Want to check out a unique market or museum? No one will tell you they don’t want to. It’s the best way to see new places, on your own terms.
  2. It pushes you out of your comfort zone.

    • When you travel with someone else, you always have a friend to rely on or talk to. But when you’re on your own, you have to do the navigating, make the decisions and push yourself to talk to others. You’ll quickly get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable, and you’ll realize it’s not actually that scary striking up a conversation with someone. Bring a journal or write notes on your phone about your trip and you’ll realize all the growing you’re doing.
  3. You become more independent.

    • Going places on your own is a surefire way to become more independent. You are forced to figure out where you’re going, how to get there and what to do, on your own. It shows you just how resilient and smart you are and gives you a much needed kick, if you’re one to let others figure things out.
  4. You can be more spontaneous.

    • Get a sudden invite to join a new friend for dinner or a concert? Great, go for it! Meet a local and get invited to a local cultural event or party? Dive in! Hear about a super interesting or unique retreat or weekend event? Get on a bus, train or plane and go! The possibilities are endless when you have no one else’s opinions to consider.
  5. It leads to self-discovery and self-love.

    • Traveling on your own gives you lots of ‘me time’ which ends up helping you figure out ‘you’. You better understand yourself – what you want and need – when you’re on your own and outside of your normal environment. It also gives you time to appreciate you. Spend some quality time with yourself; exercise, walk, try new foods, slow down and give yourself some love.
  6. It gives you more freedom.

    • Traveling solo gives you all the freedom when it comes to where you’re going, when you’re going, how long you’re going and more. It means you can do nothing all day, or can fill your days as you desire. You can also eat where you want, when you want, or choose to cook all your meals. One thing we will say is that when you’re planning your trip, give yourself time. So often people try to cram in as much as possible in quick trips and end up feeling more burnt out than before they started. That’s why Behere bookings are for 30 days or more, to give you time to really sink into the new city, see it, take side trips and still have a place to call ‘home’.
  7. You make more meaningful connections and friendships

    • When you’re traveling with others, you’re often closed off from new people without realizing it. But when you’re on your own, you don’t have your travel companions to talk to, so you’re forced to make friends – or hang on your own. If you’re shy, a great way to meet people is going to different fitness studios (plus you’ll keep a routine) or meetups to meet people with similar interests. Or if you’re working while traveling, we always recommend coworking spaces and they’re a great place to meet people, attend events and more. At Behere we also have city hosts in each location, which is a local or expat that’s there to show you around and be a friendly face.

There are so many other benefits to traveling solo, but these are some of our teams favorites. If you’re feeling brave and ready to book your first (or next) solo trip, we’re here to help. You can choose from our cities below or reach out to [email protected] with any questions! Look forward to seeing you out there!

More Women Are Working Remotely – Here's Why Flexibility is the Future

In today’s evolving workplace, employees are looking for positions that go beyond the typical corporate office. They want roles that cater to their desire for flexibility. As demographics change in the markets, the desires and demands of workers are developing, and many employers are taking note.

In a study by Harvard Business Review, American workers ranked flexibility as a close second to health benefits, demonstrating how the typical 9-5 is on its way out. As it should be. Employees who work from home are 87% more likely to “love” their job, found a study by Leadership IQ. While companies like Yahoo have very publicly abandoned remote work, it is still on the rise in the US.

As millennials become the largest group in the workforce, the desire for work-life balance is forcing companies to reevaluate practices.

Millennials are demanding more flexibility in their work and more than half of all professionals have left a job, or considered leaving, because it lacked flexibility. Companies must embrace the challenge of maintaining company culture and productivity, while retaining talent and recreating the corporate structure. More companies are adapting to these demands, as happy, healthy employees with lower stress levels are considerably more productive. Young people are redefining the way we work. They’re doing this through a desire to establish work-life balance, create experiences, and advance their careers.

The rise of the digital workforce is a main factor in the shift away from the office job.

The job market is no longer local, and the hiring pool can be global thanks to technology. Since we have the ability to work from anywhere, the need for traditional office space decreases. With 50% of the workforce projected to be Millennials by 2020, the younger generation is ready for this change and embracing new environments that are outside of the comfort zones of most Boomers. Millennials are also more interested in an entrepreneurial career path, with 67% of students looking to start their own business, rather than the 13% planning on working their way up to a CEO position.

These rapid, substantial changes have many advantages but one demographic that predominantly benefits? Women.

Women looking for positions that allow for family time, travel and flexibility, in particular. Romy Newman, founder of Fairygodboss, an online resource for women in the workplace, told us, “For female jobseekers, work-life balance is paramount. Companies that understand that women have families and create boundaries for family time and commitments are highly prized”.

The key to finding these companies and positions? Companies that are run by and hire women. “Women should look for the presence of other women in the organization. Knowing women achieve leadership roles and remain engaged with the organization is a sign of a women-friendly organization,” Newman explains.

With a swiftly changing job market, how do women fit in?

While technology brings many benefits, automation can be a double edged sword. On one side, it provides efficiency and mobility, but it can also result in a loss of jobs. Office and administration positions are the most likely threatened by automation, and are also predominantly held by women. With a loss in jobs, the fear is that the gender gap could widen, especially in industries like tech.

Currently, many women are not being offered the flexibility to pursue their career while raising a family. A Pew Research Center study found that 51% found it more difficult to advance their careers while being a mom, while only 16% of men agreed. In the same study, 42% of mothers cut back on work hours for family, but only 28% of fathers did.

Even so, these stats shouldn’t instil fear for the future of work. Instead, they create opportunity for women to gain skills and seek leadership positions. While companies need to embrace flexibility and allow all employees to make time for family. 

Entrepreneurship and remote work offer a clear spot for women in the workplace.

The US workforce is projected to be 40% entrepreneurs by 2020, and women can carve themselves into that number according to a 2016 BNP Paribas Global Entrepreneur Report. Of the female entrepreneurs who took part, 90% expected to see an increase in profits within a year. Further, they reported higher revenue than their male colleagues.

Being able to take your job across the globe or create your own schedule, allows women to continue to pursue their work rather than being among the 56% that leave mid-career. As more women embrace a remote or flexible career and lifestyle, the community of women in the workforce grows, develops and flourishes.

This is very evident through co-working spaces that are being designed specifically for women, like the many we highlighted here. They are more than just an office, offering women a safe, trusted place to work with perks that are more aligned to them than the average male-dominated work spaces. Amenities such as on-site gyms, daycare, blow-out bars, dry cleaning drop-off and meal delivery are among the offerings. Female-only spaces that inspire and thrive on collaboration create a sense of community that many miss when working remotely. They also fosters mentorships that nearly half of female entrepreneurs feel they are missing.

The work place is changing. As the number of women who work remotely rises, the future of women in the workplace looks promising.

As Millennials begin to dominate the market, the demand for change is increasing – women are at the forefront.

 

Employers who embrace flexibility and invest in women will see the benefits through their employees and their businesses. There may be challenges with tech, culture and communication to address, but it won’t prevent change from continuing to propel forward. Technology isn’t slowing down, and neither are the women who are shaping the future of the workplace.


Written by Katie Tatham (@kltatham) Vancouver based adventurer and writer.

Why Women Who Travel Make Great Employees

Today, post-secondary education is very common, and many millennials look for work right after graduation. So what sets apart a great employee, from the others? One thing is almost guaranteed: travel. This applies to everyone, but even more so, for women. Women who travel make better employees because, these women bring valuable skills they gained while traveling, to the workplace.

Here’s why women who travel make the best employees:

They’re the best problem solvers.


Women who travel, especially alone, develop the ability to solve any problem they encounter. When in a country where you don’t speak the language, navigating can be intimidating, but it’s something travellers are used to. Trains are closed for the day? They’ll find a bus. Arriving in a city late at night? They’ll research the quickest way to reach their accommodation safely. They’ve come to realize any problem can be solved with some quick thinking, and they’ll bring this to your team.

They’re independent and confident.


It takes a woman with these qualities to leave their comfort zone, and once they go, these traits strengthen. There is nothing more empowering than navigating through a country on your own, knowing you can take on whatever comes your way. When they’re back in the office, they have the confidence to take on tasks with little direction, self-motivate, and self-start, all extremely valuable qualities in an employee.

They’re good with people.


Part of traveling is meeting people, whether it’s locals or fellow travellers, and women who travel develop excellent interpersonal skills. When women first start travelling alone, it can be very intimidating to talk to people they don’t know. But it quickly becomes natural, and employers will likely notice female travellers ease quickly into the interview process, because talking to someone new is common for them. This translates into their work, making them good communicators and a great team member.

They’re eager to learn.


Travellers are curious about the world, and looking to gain knowledge of a culture other than their own. This open-mindedness allows them to absorb new information, and search for new ways to learn whenever they can. These women never want to be bored, and are always looking to be engaged. When they’re on your team, you can count on them to look for a different perspective and a challenge.

Women who travel make excellent employees, who are ready to rise to a challenge and self-manage. Like all millennials, female travellers are looking for flexibility in the workplace , so employers need to work to retain them. Hiring quality employees who have gained these valuable skills will create a strong, dynamic team that can work together to drive your organization forward.


Written by Katie Tatham – @kltatham

This New Research Will Encourage You to Finally Take That Trip

We’ve all been there – spent hours endlessly scrolling through Instagram. Trying to think of how we can travel more. How we can be that relaxed woman having coffee on a balcony in Europe, or wandering rice fields in Bali.

But when we actually think about doing it; talking to our employers or taking the leap to freelance, finding an apartment (and which neighborhood?!) a place to work from, a new gym, a new coffee spot, that healthy place we love for lunch, etc. we get overwhelmed. It all sounds too challenging. So we settle back into our ‘somewhat satisfying’ daily lives, still dreaming about it.

We get it, we’ve been there too. It’s why we started Behere, to make traveling and living abroad actually possible. But we also know everyone needs a little push to follow their dreams so…

This research, might be that extra encouragement you need to finally do it.

A new study found living abroad is a rare kind of transitional experience that helps clarify your ‘self-concept clarity’. Self-concept clarity is your understanding of who you are and where you are going in life. So essentially, living abroad helps you find yourself, something we’re all trying to figure out.

Living abroad helps with this because your new environment helps you discover what you do and do not value. Plus, the influences of your culture, society and network are not present. When you interact with new cultures, you realize which values are yours and which are simply a product of your upbringing. 

The study found there are numerous benefits to living abroad, including; greater life satisfaction, decreased stress, improved job performance and increased clarity on the types of careers that best match your strengths and values. This has become so important today, with the vast range of career options available.

move abroadIn order to gain the most clarity, the study showed that you have to actually live abroad (ie spend a month or more there). So going travelling or backpacking through 5 countries in 14 days won’t yield the same results .

The researchers wrote, “Our studies demonstrate that living abroad affects the fundamental structure of the self-concept by enhancing its clarity. The German philosopher Hermann von Keyserling wrote in his 1919 book, 

‘The shortest path to oneself leads around the world.’ 

Almost 100 years later, our research provides empirical evidence in support of this idea.”

This study proves what we’re doing at Behere and the lifestyle we’re helping you attain, is really helpful in better understanding who you are, and what you want. And we think that’s pretty darn cool.

So to learn more about Behere click here.


The study was conducted by researchers from Rice University, Columbia University and the University of North Carolina and can be found here.