Honest Thoughts for Your First Solo Trip
Here are some honest truths I would tell you if you were about to take your first solo trip (and I wasn’t afraid of hurting your feelings).
You will be absolutely terrified. A big misconception people have is that I go on these trips confident. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The unknown is scary, but learning to accept and observe these feelings instead of letting them control my actions has helped give me the motivation to still go. The confidence comes afterwards.
The amount of decision-making can be really overwhelming sometimes. Especially if it is your first time outside the country. There are a lot of responsibilities on your shoulders, everything is unfamiliar, you don’t have your family/friends within arms reach, and there are honestly SO MANY choices. Just remember to breathe, you have to learn to trust yourself, and to prove that you can do all these things by yourself. And remember that there are no good or bad choices (just dumb ones).
You can’t trust people. I know… shocker, but it’s true! Make sure that you never put yourself in a situation where you have to rely on others. Even if you feel like you know someone, you don’t, and you especially don’t know their intent. Make sure you are putting your well-being and safety first. Not saying you can’t create genuine friendships, but don’t put yourself in bad situations.
Not taking care of your health will catch up to you. You are gonna be full of life, adventure, and adrenaline abroad. You may feel invincible, but it’s important to remember you are not. If you don’t have proper rest, hydration, and nutrition, your body will let you know by getting you sick. And trust me, being sick in a hostel dorm is not for the weak.
You’re gonna feel lonely. There might be day(s) at a time in which you barely talk to anyone, and it can make you feel unwelcome or uncomfortable. It’s important to remember that there is nothing wrong with this feeling. You are getting used to the feeling of spending quality time with yourself. Lean into the feeling, observe all the people around you, and know you are never truly alone.
You may feel left out sometimes. Ouch, this one stings. But sometimes you may just not click with people, or they’ve already formed their group. And that’s okay its not meant for you.
That travel fling is not the love of your life. And to be honest, if you meet them in Thailand 50/50 chance they have a girlfriend at home.
Your problems and emotions will follow you. ITS TRUEEE, going abroad won’t solve your problems. I’ve found myself crying over my unhealed trauma in the most beautiful places ever; it’s truly a humbling feeling. Though traveling won’t fix your problems, I do believe it helps those things come to the surface, see them in a new light, and build a stronger sense of self to handle them.
You won’t be the same person coming home. Probably the worst feeling in the world, to be honest… being able to experience such freedom and eye-opening experiences can really make you question your whole damn life. But as long as you don’t just dwell in your sad return, I believe you can use these solo trips to better your life in whichever way you choose.
Don’t be surprised when people will not care to hear about your trip. Even if you are coming off as genuine and not “bragging” about your trip, people lose interest. It can be frustrating because you just experienced so much that you feel like a whole other person. It’s special, and you want to share it with someone, but the truth is the other person will not be able to relate and therefore will not really care to hear everything. And that’s okay, don’t waste your energy trying to explain your journey to others. But to the ones that do want to hear everything… keep them around because they are a very special person.