How To Survive The First Days Of Solo Travel
Hey there, so you took the plunge.
You’re solo traveling!
Look at you go!
This will be one of the best things you ever do.
But in all honesty, it will probably also be one of the hardest things you ever do. The nerves on days leading up to your departure and the first few days after you arrive can be enough to make you want to call the whole thing off entirely. I want to encourage you to push through that (SO hard. Trust me, I know…ask my dad about our 4 am conversation the day I left.)
I’ve found myself to be a person that doesn’t really get excited, but rather I get anxious (two similar feelings in the tummy.) I have always found it super difficult to get excited about things. Fun parties, concerts, events, school field trips, first days of work/school. Rather than get excited, I always get nervous and kind of just want it to be over with. My mind races with everything that could go wrong and the pressure of it being fun makes me dread it. Of course, once I’m there I have a great time.
So don’t think for a second when I do all this crazy shi*t like going to the other side of the world by myself for months, that I do it with full confidence and fearlessness. I am very much full of fear, I just push through it. Which, I think, makes it an even bigger feat. Fake it till ya make it is my policy.
With that being said, here are some things I hope ease your mind in the first few days of a solo trip.
It’s okay if all you did today was survive.
There can be a lot of pressure (mostly self-inflicted) to do a lot and just dive right in and start exploring right away. I’m sure plenty of travel blogs will tell you to do that. I’m going to tell you the opposite. Yes, dive in, but it’s okay to dip your toe in and feel out the water first. Even as a child I have been one to observe first, then jump in wholeheartedly once I felt safe. I like to be an invisible observer at first and then once I feel confident, I get out there. It serves me well. Now, when you’re flying to the other side of the world alone you kind of have to commit to the cannon ball, but there are a few things I do to “dip my toes in” before I full send into scrappy backpacking adventures.
You can cry.
Goodbyes are hard. Leaving the comfort of home is hard. Getting on a 12-hour flight to somewhere you’ve never been before is hard. Hugging your parents and knowing it will be the last time for months is so hard. Walking away from your dad and into a hectic airport, forced to face the stark reality that you are really on your own from here on out is freaking hard. My entire layover in Seattle I cried. Usually, I try to hold off on the mental breakdown until I get to my hotel at my destination so I can have a full-blown “what the fuck was I thinking??” panic sob in private. Buttttt I couldn’t hold this one in. My dad called me, and I couldn’t spit a word out of my mouth without bursting in tears.
When I got on the plane an attendant said ”how are you?” Knowing this is just a pleasantry in the states and no one is actually asking how you are doing, I said “good, how are you?” with a smile stretched across my red splotchy face, tears streaming down my cheeks.
But guess what? I still got on the plane. So before you sit there and think “wow this girl is fearless!” I must assure you that I am, in fact, a girl of many fears.
Book a hotel for the first few days
I know you probably want to get into a hostel to save money and make friends right away, but I advise you to spend a few days alone first.
Ultimately, hostel dorms are not a good place to adjust. Remember college dorms? Yeah, it’s not a place you go to catch up on sleep, call your parents, and get your business in order.
Staying in a hotel first gives me a chance to acclimate to the time zone shift and living out of a backpack. I can spread all my stuff out and reorganize. I can stretch my body and take a nice shower without pressure to zoom through it. Mostly, I can get on top of my own stuff before diving into the adventure.
Plan how you’ll get from the airport to your hotel
After 30 hours of travel, the last thing you want to do is worry about how you’re getting to a bed safely. I emphasize SAFELY.
Now, I personally did not do this because I just kinda dropped the ball on this detail, but it could have put my mind at ease a little to know that everything from the minute I left my bed in Minnesota to the minute I laid my head on a pillow at my destination was sorted and all I had to do was show up.
In Greece I thought I had arranged transfer with my hotel but it turns out I didn’t do it right and ended up taking a taxi. It all turned out fine of course but I was shaking in my boots the whole way. When arriving in Asia I took a Grab (similar to Uber) and felt really safe about that.
Take it one step at a time!
When you first set foot in a new country, it can be very intimidating. There’s likely a lot you need to do and its easy to get overwhelmed. You can only do one thing at a time. Remember this. Compartmentalizing my tasks has helped me a lot.
There’s a pretty orderly task list when you get somewhere. Get off plane, get through customs, go to baggage claim, declare anything you need to, get a local sim, get local currency, get to hotel, get checked in.
If your next task is to get through passport control, stop be worrying about how you’re going to get a taxi and what SIM card you’ll get, and what you’re going to do tomorrow or the next day. Just get through passport control. If you are at step 1, get step 5 outta your head.
Your tasks for the first 1-2 days- Arrive
- get a sim card or e-sim (if you need to)
- Take out local currency
- Get to your accommodation safely
- Get on track with your sleep and the time change
- Eat something
- Drink water
- Get organized
- Go for a walk
Go for a no-pressure walk
One of the first things I always do is go for a walk and just be an observer. I’m not out to buy or do anything, I’m just getting a feel for the area. It helps to dissolve the major culture shock I’m (typically) experiencing. I do not need to speak to anyone. I do not need to have a destination. All I need to do is walk and observe everyone else. I promise, this will make you feel more at ease. This is one of those “dipping your toes in” activities.
Be mindful of the little victories
- Did you get here in one piece? That’s a win.
- Did you take a shower? That’s a win.
- Did you get some sleep? That’s a win.
- Did you leave your hotel room? That’s a win.
- Did you eat a meal today? That’s a win.
- Did you stay in your hotel room all day but bring your anxiety level down from an 11/10 to a 6/10? That’s a win.
- Did you remember to brush your teeth with a water bottle rather than the tap? That’s a win. (water is often an enemy in plain sight among travelers)
Because the truth is, you’re doing a very brave thing that stretches your comfort zone and forces you to break habits instantly (like using the tap to brush your teeth). Getting used to that doesn’t happen overnight and you can’t expect yourself to just plop into this entirely different world and act like everything is normal. You can tread water before you hit the deep end.
Solo travel is amazing and enriching and an incredible growth opportunity I highly doubt you will regret. However, it is also difficult, painful, and can trigger a tear or two, and what I’m not going to do is sit here and act like it’s easy. That helps no one. What I am going to do is tell you that it will be okay, and it will be worth it. Hopefully, this helps.
