7 things I would have told myself before my first solo trip
Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart.
I started travelling on my own when I was 18; not by choice so much as by necessity. I just didn’t have any friends who wanted to take a year off and travel Europe with me. Crazy, right? So I decided I would go alone, and I set off for my first ever solo trip. What started as one of the hardest things I have ever done turned into the best thing I ever did. But travelling alone so young was not easy, and if I could go back in time and tell myself some advice, this is what I would say.
Expect the good, expect the bad
Solo travel can be amazing. It pushes you out of your comfort zone, opens you up to new possibilities and leads you to experience things you might have otherwise never experienced. You will have a lot of great moments, whether it be partying in Madrid until the sun comes up or riding a horse in the Hungarian countryside. You’ll think “How did I get here? This is incredible!” But those high moments will come with low moments too – moments of real loneliness, times where you think “what have I gotten myself into?” Expect these moments, but remember that the lows will be worth the highs.
Try to say yes
Travelling alone gives you the freedom to travel however you want, and do whatever you want. But remember that you need people too, and you never know what you might experience if you don’t say yes. So say yes to that dinner invitation, or go grab a beer at the local pub with your new dorm roommate! One of the most important things solo travel will teach you is that your best experiences will be outside of your comfort zone, so try to push yourself out of it.
Know when to say no
It’s important to get out of your comfort zone, but it’s even more important to know when to say no. Listen to your gut feeling – if it’s telling you something seems off, it’s probably right. Never push yourself into a situation that makes you uncomfortable or that might put your safety at risk, especially if you’re alone (and especially as a woman).
on my first solo trip at 18
she's just a baby :'(
Give yourself time to adjust
If you’ve never travelled alone before, then your first solo trip is probably going to catapult you right out of your comfort zone – and that can be really scary! So give yourself time to adjust, and know that in time you will become more comfortable with being alone, and more confident in your own decisions.
Listen to yourself
One of the reasons I love solo travel so much is because you can do whatever you like, whenever you like! If you feel tired walking around a museum, just leave. If you feel like staying in that city for another day or two, you can. It took me a while to really listen to myself and what I wanted, but becoming in tune with yourself will make travel so much more enjoyable.
Listen to your gut
Part of becoming in tune with your wants and needs is learning to listen to your gut feeling when something feels off. Know that you can remove yourself from any situation and don’t owe anyone anything. It’s pretty likely you’ll never see them again anyway!
Start conversations
One of my favourite parts of solo travel is all the different people I meet along the way. They become just as much a part of the journey as the landscapes and cities. So make sure to say hello to your new dormmate, to that person in the common room, to that person on the walking tour with you. It’s easy to forget the value of a good conversation, especially when you’re on your own.
