I wasn’t always comfortable with traveling alone. Traveling in general can be challenging. Aside from the logistical challenges, such as budgeting, covering your work, getting pet- or child-care and actually booking your travels. Traveling alone means you’re doing it by yourself. And then when you get there, you are all ALONE. Many questions start to arise, and for some, these cause anxiety and ultimately fear that leads to not going through with the plan. And yes, I’ve been locked out of my intentions by my own brain that took anticipation as anxiety and turned it into fear. However, this too can be overcome with a bit of strategy and planning.
For those who can’t imagine going somewhere new or foreign alone I’d like to offer a few tips for how to get started, get going and actually get there.
Start small. Your first trip solo doesn’t need to be far. If you’re not accustomed to doing things alone, this is a great place to start. Start by going on a small overnight trip by yourself that is only a short driving distance from your home. For example, if you live in Los Angeles go to Palm Springs or if you live in NYC go to DC. But do it by yourself. Or add a few days before or after joining a group to spread your wings a bit and try something new.
Know where you’re going. You always need to do some research about the place before you go there. I know very few people who can throw a dart at a map and feel comfortable going there alone. Most of us have to read about it and know some history, culture and how it works. Most importantly know the current socio-political atmosphere and don’t get caught somewhere unsafe.
Plan to your passions. If you’re an avid hiker, plan a destination with epic hikes. If you’re a musician go somewhere you can explore concerts or a great music scene. Personally, I plan around food. Most trips I go on, I want to explore unique dining experiences - and have gone as far as Sapporo, not for their beer (which I drank plenty as well), but because during the fall its salmon season which means yummy fishy things that I can eat. (the video above is at one of my favorite little finds - a restaurant that celebrates salmon roe! and makes heaping bowls of it for you and your friends to enjoy. Just look at the faces of the table next to us.)
Join a group. Whether you join a group before you go or find groups when you get there, it’s a great way to make plans to see what you want to see. Tour groups have a bad reputation for being big, unruly and not tailored to our needs. I've joined groups of all sorts, and one of my favorite groups was joining a pub crawl in Dublin to go whiskey tasting. I actually started with a walking tour in the morning, then found out about a walking tour in the afternoon, which led to learning about a whiskey tour in the evening. We all had so much fun that we went on to a local pub all together after the tasting and then to another, and another - well you get the picture!
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