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Maybe you can’t even imagine what it would be like to hit the road with, um, just you. Or perhaps you’ve always dreamed about packing a duffle and jumping on a plane without consulting anyone. Either way, there are a few things you should know before you add “adventure for one” to your bucket list (or before you totally dismiss it). Here, six women who’ve actually taken a trip totally alone share what they learned from it:

People Will Get up in Your Business
“Without fail, every time I sat down for dinner or was out at a bar, some gentleman took it upon himself to let me know just how single he was—because obviously I must be lonely or they thought I was a prostitute. Non-creepy dudes or concerned citizens invaded my private space by grilling me with questions like, ‘Did your friends bail on you? Are you new to the area and don’t know anyone? Why would you choose to be on vacation alone?’ Sometimes it makes for great conversation, but you don’t need to justify yourself! I had my reasons and that was good enough!” —Annie Davalle

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You’ll Probably End Up Doing Things You Never Thought You Would Do Alone
“Shortly after getting laid off from my job of four years, I traveled to Berlin and Prague by myself. It was the first time I’d ever traveled overseas alone. I took a train from Berlin to Prague for a day trip. I mapped everything out and had a very strict schedule so I could make my train back to Berlin. Well, I ended up getting lost while looking for a monument but insisted on finding it before heading back. I arrived back at the train station just in time to watch my train leave without me. There was no other train available until the next morning, and I didn’t have enough money for a hotel, so I ended up just walking around the city all night. I crossed the Charles Bridge in the middle of the night (it was breath-taking) and found a really cool comic book-themed rock ‘n’ roll bar to hang out in for a while. Eventually, I fell asleep in a park square for a couple of hours after dawn. I was back on a train at around 8 a.m., completely exhausted, but it was the best travel adventure I’ve ever had.” —Sandra Roldan, WomensHealthMag,com senior web producer

You Have a Different Kind of Fun Than You Do with Friends
“At the ripe old age of 25, I had spent the last three years of living and working in New York City—and I was burnt out. Too many late nights and weekends on the job, too many bad dates, too many bottles of wine. I felt like I needed to get out of the city to explore and renew my creativity and curiosity, so I planned a solo trip to New Mexico. In the span of a week, I hiked a mountain, swam in natural hot springs, saw some beautiful art, ate some great meals, almost got bitten by a snake, detoxed from all the wine, and met a much younger man who…helped me get my groove back. It was really fun but not in the same way you have fun with your friends on vacation. There wasn’t any laughing over private jokes or deep late-night convos, but it was an adventure that can’t be replicated with other people.” —Lisa Chudnofsky, WomensHealthMag.com site director

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Hauling Luggage Is Hard
“When I went on a trip by myself a few years ago, I totally didn’t realize how much trouble I would have carrying my luggage with me on the plane. Without someone there to help me fit my heavy suitcase into the overhead bin, I stood there like an idiot until two guys took pity on me. I had to do the same thing on my flight back, too. Now I know to pack lighter if I ever go on vacation by myself again!” —Christina Heiser, WomensHealthMag.com online senior associate editor

Being Alone Isn’t as Scary as You Think
“I really think it helps you fall in love with yourself a little. I used to be weirded out by the thought of doing things alone like going to a movie, out to dinner, or a bar by myself, but when I traveled some place where I didn’t know anyone, I had to do those things by myself if I wanted to get out and explore. So I got comfortable being alone. It’s a bit peaceful and kind of an adventure. Plus, it made me more open to meeting new people and locals!” —Christina Belin

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But You Might Imagine Everyone is Staring at You
“You’ll probably worry that the people around you are wondering why you’re alone. On my last night on a solo beach vacation, I was having a late dinner at the resort’s gorgeous open-air restaurant. I was perfectly content, sipping my mojito and doing some writing in a journal I’d brought with me, when I heard Forgetting Sarah Marshall mentioned at the table behind me. My mind immediately jumped to one thought: ‘Oh my gosh, they think I’m Jason Segal right now, a.k.a. a lonely, sad person traveling alone because she got ditched by her significant other.’ For all I know, they were talking about their favorite movies, though. I had to tune them out and enjoy myself.” —Jen Ator, Women’s Health fitness director

This year I made a goal to go on vacation somewhere I had never been, alone. I expected a few moments I wished I was sharing with other people; what surprised me were the countless others I was so grateful to have all to myself. #adventure #travel #usvi

A photo posted by Jen Ator (@jen_ator) on Jun 21, 2015 at 7:45pm PDT

All gifs courtesy of giphy.com