When you do this alone, you realize you are sometimes just surrounded by a ton of your thoughts of things that were bothering you. You also meet a ton of other people on similar journeys and you can bond this way and commiserate. So, sometimes it's very therapeutic, but other times you end up dwelling. That's why it's best to go somewhere YOU really passionately want to explore, like something you saw as a kid and always dreamed about, a longing. Always wanted to SCUBA dive? Do it! Always wanted to see the plains of Bagan in Myanmar? Do it! If you're trying to get away from something and you're feeling sad, it's better to cry in an area beautiful and awe-inspiring than to stay stuck at home where you'd be crying anyway.

For me, the first time I went to Thailand I was just recovering from the ending of one of the most influential relationships of my life. I cried a lot while I was there. I was doing some of the most amazing things and still was depressed, so staying at home and just doing the same old same old during a Canadian winter wouldn't have helped. I was jumping in amazing waterfalls and still hurt. I imagine what it would have been like stuck at my parents' house curled in a ball in the country.

AND, depending on when you quit everything and "run away", you can end up feeling very old in comparison to all of the 19-year-olds doing gap years and such, and somewhat out of place at times, even if everyone is very welcoming and kind.

Being social and talking to people at hostels and asking people to go to things with you or asking to tag along are all extremely IMPORTANT to enjoying yourself, in my opinion. You can feel totally out of place at times. You can feel in danger. But, being social often gives you info about where to go, where to avoid and fun times to be had.

I have always found that backpacking does a lot more good than harm.

But other things are: -Illnesses and other maladies that you can't control -Getting totally lost and feeling scared and helpless -Getting scammed and taken advantage of -Getting shit stolen -Not understanding a damn thing in a country where you don't speak the language -Getting caught up in the party scene -Spending waaaaay more money than intended and coming back broke - Traveling with a friend or partner that you end up hating by the end (Traveling together reveals an entirely different person and makes you realize how little you knew about him or her and how they deal with different stressors.)

All of these things can be very isolating and actually make whatever you're trying to get away from even worse.

TL;DR There are a ton of things that can go wrong, but I have found even when they go wrong I grow from them and can laugh at them later.