The best gift traveling solo has taught me is that it is not what you expect.

I have recently made a list of about 15 things that solo travel taught me, and today I realized the best one was missing.

The little boy sits alone on the bridge. Kutaisi, Georgia. Photo Cred: Sara Burdick

I will put the other 15 into a video and maybe a post; however, sitting in a taxi today, I realized the best gift that solo travel has taught me:

Silence and the ability to sit in silence with myself and another person.

The Greeks have a word for fear of silence; it is called:

Sedatephobia:

Which means ¨sedate, meaning silent or sleeping or dead, ¨ and Phobos, meaning the Greek God of fear, dread, or aversion.

It is believed that a traumatic or damaging experience in someone’s life causes the fear of silence.

Not exactly a mindblowing realization, but for me, it was.

Can you sit in silence with another person?

Before, I started traveling by myself, especially to countries where I could not speak the language I could not.

I always had to find something to talk about, small talk or anything, so that I would not be there with my thoughts or…