So what exactly is solo travel? Many hotels and tour operators are capitalizing on this trend differently. Traveling solo is when you truly go by yourself to a destination and experience it completely on your own—without the help of joining an organized tour group. It’s for the wanderluster, the adventurer and the bold. There are even Solo Travel Awards that are given to companies that excel at serving the solo traveler. The trend is also being measured by online searches. Resonance Consultancy reported that the number of searches for the terms “solo travel” on Google was almost 55% higher in the first week of January 2018 compared to the previous year. The trend for women is especially growing. Compared to other countries examined in Resonance’s report, American women rank first in solo travel and are most likely to take three trips or more in a given year. While the concept for women is not new, social media is playing a part in encouraging more of it. Pinterest saves for “solo travel” among women are up 500% from 2014. Although the solo traveler transcends generations, it’s also noteworthy that millennials are strongly embracing it. According to Resonance Consultancy’s research, 25% of millennials polled said they planned to take a trip on their own in the next 12-24 months. I decided to see what all of the solo travel hype was about and started out this journey by traveling to New York City and London solo. I was admittedly nervous. The thought of traveling completely by myself in these big cities that would be even more crowded with summer tourists sounded lonely and overwhelming. You should know that I struggle with directions, and I’m not the type of personality that enjoys being alone. Based on my personal travel experiences, travel was about who I was with. It was about seeing and experiencing a destination with those closest to me. It was about memories that I could experience together with someone else. I’m the easygoing traveler who loves when others plan and I can just go along for the unforgettable journey. How would traveling alone even compare? And then there’s the issue of safety. How safe would it be to be a woman alone in a foreign country? I had fears about how I would go out alone at night or what I would do if I got lost in a strange city. I was warned about what not to do such as smiling at strangers, bringing my passport in my purse and even holding my phone in my hands. But I embraced the cons of going solo in my mind, and I quickly learned why so many people are joining in on this trend. Stay tuned for the first stories from The Solo Traveler Series in New York City and London on PeterGreenberg.com.