How to get ready for your first solo trip?
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You will learn about: smart techniques that will improve your first solo experience
“I took my first solo trip when I was 26. I traveled to Shanghai, China. It was one of my best adventures!”
Number 1 - Choosing the country
Congratulations! You are already one of the few travellers who dare to voyage by themselves. You are braver than you think. So, before you book that flight, let’s consider couple of things to make your first trip a great experience.
Ease of traveling between places. When I was debating which country to choose for my first solo trip, this parameter was the most important. Why? Well, because I wanted to minimise the time when I had to rely on taxis or driving by myself in a new location. I wanted to use the public transport and be among people. Being among others also gave me the feeling of safety. That is why (for example), I didn’t choose to go to LA. So, pick a country, where you can hop on a bus or a metro during almost any hour of a day.
Current political situation in that country. Unless your work requires you to be in places, where the political situation is unstable, visit such place later in your life. For my first solo trip, I wanted to be in a country, where I’d fell that if all goes wrong, I can still survive.
Local friends. Knowing that they are some familiar faces in a new place, is going to make you feel so much more relaxed. Really! You don’t need to meet up with your friends, if you don’t want to, just knowing that they are there, is going to make you feel more self-confident. Nevertheless, I would really recommend reaching out and spending an afternoon together if you can. Before going to Shanghai, I posted on my Instagram that I will be there and so many of my old friends reached out! I automatically felt twice as excited about this first solo trip. Meeting them was one of the dearest memories from my voyage. Also, one of the people that reached out to me, was my long-forgotten ex-boyfriend! The world is so small.
Number 2 - Planning where to stay
Neighbourhoods. If you can, ask those who have been to the country or the city in question about their experience with the local neighbourhoods. Also, browse the Internet about that. Ask yourself what you are interested in exploring and go for the neighbourhood that offers that. If you are curious about fashion, hiking, food, beaches, museums, etc. - there will be definitely a cluster in one of the local areas of those activities.
Hotel vs Hostel vs Airbnb. Ask yourself what you are the most comfortable with. All these three options have their own advantages and disadvantages. For my first solo trip, I decided to stay in a hotel. My reasoning at the time was that I wanted to have my own safe space in the city. The hotels were not that expensive. So, the hotel was my first option.
Number 3 - Getting comfortable with being alone
It doesn’t look weird. During my first trip alone, at times I felt.. stupid by doing certain things on my own. The good news is that (1) I felt this feeling only by doing some activities for the first time (like eating buffet breakfast by myself on the first morning) and (2) on the grand scheme of events, no one really cares about you. We definitely spend more time thinking about ourselves than others will ever do. So, this uncomfortable feeling will definitely pass.
Don’t feel shy asking for help. I think that this is one of the best ways to get the flavour of the country’s way of life - talking to the people who live there. More often than not, they will be happy to help. I remember when I arrived at the Shanghai airport, I had saved a screenshot of a metro route to my hotel. But in the mid-journey, the train had to split. Having no Internet connection, I couldn’t deal with this issue in my millennial way. So, I asked people around and they were very helpful.
Being semi-busy. I am an advocate of having a goal for your trip, like you would if you were part of a Scrum Team. I suppose that planning fun activities but also allowing yourself a sprinkle of spontaneity, is the best mix. Mainly, because you will not have time to think about how weird you must look by being alone, as you will be busy having fun!
Number 4 - Doing it!
So you have researched, planned, thought of everything. Now, the best and sometimes the most daunting thing left to do is to... Do it!
I encourage you to go for a solo trip. If you never go, you will never know how it feels. You might find such traveling method the most liberating thing you will ever do, or maybe the most scary. No matter what, one thing will happen for sure - you will be changed. Whether you will be loving or hating such trips in the future, it remains a secondary thought. The most important thing that will happen, is that you did it! I dare you to be the traveler you always wanted.