How to travel solo and have an amazing time

I've always thought of travelling alone as a necessary rite of passage. Yes, the idea of it can be a bit daunting. After all, it isn't often in our busy lives that we end up forcing ourselves to spend a few days, or a week, or even months with no friends or family around. Add into the mix an unknown place, an unknown language, and a whole variety of unforeseen challenges that inevitably land at your feet when travelling, and you start to see why for lots of people, going it alone is thought to be completely out of the question.