Planning your very own adventure is both exciting and a bit frightening. It’s all up to you now, after all, and if you should happen to forget about something, there is nobody around to help you out or borrow you their extra pair of something.
Yet, the allure of being able to decide everything without having to take anyone else into consideration is definitely worth it for many people and they have made it a bit easier for new solo travelers to get started.
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Here is a quick guide to what you need to know before you head off by yourself so that you can feel a bit more comfortable and confident about your next adventure. It’s not a guarantee that you won’t return home half-covered in mosquito bites and sunburns but at least you will still have all of your belongings and, preferably, a sense of hope in humanity.
First: You will meet a lot of new people
While the people hearing about your solo adventure may question why on earth you would like to travel on your own, they simply don’t know that you’re going to meet so many new friends.
A few of them may even become your travel companions if you get along well enough and are heading in the same direction so don’t think for a second that you’re going to be alone in all of this.
The allure of traveling without anyone else is, of course, the feeling of not being held back. There is nobody there to argue with about where you should go next and, if you happen to dislike your new travel companions, you can always ditch them without feeling guilty.
It gives a sense of freedom that a lot of people crave which you won’t be able to get if you set off with a friend, from the beginning.
Keep an open mind while traveling, in other words, and you will be able to look forward to a lot of random encounters and friendships in highly unlikely places. There is just something special about a friend you met while hiking up a mountain somewhere exotic - or someone who joined you on a random shark cage expedition early in the morning.
Next: You need to do a lot of planning
Sure, you could head off without planning anything at all since there is nobody there to argue with you - but planning will give your friends and family back home a sense of security. Try to let them know about where you are going as well as where you are staying so that they don’t have to worry about anything and so that they always know where you are in case something should happen.
Another point to this is, of course, that the places you're going to might require a visa. This means that you will have to do quite a bit of planning in order to obtain it and you might as well stick with your plan so that your family has something to rely on as well.
This means that you should give them your flight itinerary for visa, first of all, as well as the bookings for accommodations that you had to make. While a lot of people make these reservations for the sake of obtaining a visa, they don’t necessarily stick with them; try to stay true to the plan you made, in the first place, and your chances of being found in case you should get lost are a bit higher.
Learn to pack smarter
Before you get started on all of your plans, it’s a good idea to learn how to pack a bit smarter first. It makes it a lot easier when you’re a solo traveler as you won’t be able to rely on your travel companion to lend you stuff - and you can’t share the responsibility of bringing certain items either.
This is one of the biggest problems for those traveling alone and, if you manage to learn the tricks to packing, you’ll make the trip a lot easier on yourself. Try to bring as little as possible and keep in mind that you can always buy an extra pair of shorts or whatever if you really need it.
We tend to realize what we need as we travel and packing an unnecessary amount of stuff is only making the journey a lot heavier.
Another point to packing and handling that backpack when you’re a solo traveler is that you won’t have anyone there to help you out with your luggage. Those simple agreements on looking out for the bags while the other one goes to buy food is something we take for granted while traveling together - and, when you find yourself alone, you realize how much of a burden that backpack actually is.
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| Image via: Pexels |
This can, in fact, also be solved if you make use of the train station’s and the airport’s safe for luggage. Now you’ll be able to safely store that backpack away while you’re walking around on the station without being held back by a heavy bag you need to look after at all times.
Remember to look smart
Finally, it’s a good idea to read up on a few safety tips before you head off for good. Traveling by yourself means that you might get lost once in a while, feeling a bit insecure about your surroundings, and, above all, wish that you had someone to turn to when the ATM is talking to you in a strange language.
Keep in mind that, while there is nothing wrong with asking for help, accepting it from a stranger by the ATM is an entirely different story. Try to look smart and confident while you’re out and about on your own to make it a bit less likely that you’re targeted by criminals who are looking for lost and confused tourists.
Now you should be able to pack those bags as lightly as possible before setting off on an adventure of a lifetime while staying safe and sound until you’re back home.
*contributed post*
*contributed post*
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