Ramblings | Things I Learnt From My First Solo Travel
This article was first published on blishkins.com in January, 2017 and is about my first solo trip to Brussels, Bruges and Cologne in September, 2016, when I was just about 20 years old/young.
It’s a funny story how as an Indian woman, I would end up taking my first solo trip sooner than I ever anticipated, and to these destinations that weren’t on the top of my bucket list. Had someone asked me about my plans to travel solo earlier, I’d always say I really wanted to do that, but I had no clue when.
For those who are like me, young girls in their early 20s, living in India in a regular Indian borderline-conservative family, you’d know what I’m talking about. The thought of their daughter travelling to a foreign country by herself is something the elders just can’t begin to comprehend.
What will you do alone? Won’t you get bored? How will you be safe? These are just few of the many questions I repeatedly had to hear. Having understood that the reality of a situation can be much different from what I had imaged, I let those questions go unanswered. Now that I have successfully completed my entirely solo trip to an entirely strange land, I can answer those questions with confidence. When travelling solo, you are not alone. Prospective friends are all over the place. No, you never get bored. It’s safe provided you use your instinct and common sense.
This experience taught me a lot, which I’m sure will come in handy and make my next trip a smoother one.
Convince your family
The main problem I faced was the outlook of my immediate family towards traveling solo. You might too. Their concerns about your well-being and safety are obvious and understandable, and need to be tackled slowly. Talk to them about others who have taken this step, demonstrate your ability to be responsible for yourself, show them that you’re independent and strong enough to do this.
As a matter of fact, my friend told me about how she used me as an example to her family to get them comfortable with the idea of her traveling solo in the future.
Prepare mentally
While you might be super occupied planning each day of your trip, it’s important to give yourself some quiet time and think. Think about where you’re going and what you want out of it. Each person travels with a different goal. Find yours.
Be prepared for uncertainties
You have seen beautiful pictures on a hundred IG travel blogs and have decided that it’s your dream job. You might expect your trip to be fancy and rosy and full of pretty pictures in pretty places, but it just might not be as smooth as you think. And I don’t say this to discourage you, but to motivate you even more to go for it. Every time you’re stuck in a problem, ask someone around you for help. Be alert. Remember, later on it’s just going to be a fun story to tell others.
Plan in advance but don’t over plan
Thoroughly research the place you’re going to visit. Find the most convenient location to live in, learn the street names, and a few basic words in the local language. It really helps. Get a rough idea about places you want to visit, things you want to do, specialties the city/country offers.
At the same time, while you’re there, be open to change. Your trip might not go exactly as planned. When traveling solo, you meet different people and learn things about the place you didn’t know before. So don’t try to be everywhere, make the most of where you are. Each moment you spend is precious and will shape the person you are.
Pack light
I probably did the silliest thing of carrying a trolley bag. The most important lesson I learnt was never carry anything but a backpack on a solo trip. It’s just plain inconvenient.
Have your documents in place
You don’t want to reach a new city and not know where to go. Get a map from the nearest information centre and have your reservations in place. You certainly don’t want to run around looking for a place to stay. Keep your passport, travel insurance, currency and other documents safely in one of those waist pouches that get hidden under the clothes.
Making friends is not difficult
“You have friends everywhere, you just don’t know them yet.” — (I don’t remember where I read this, but it stuck with me throughout my journey and proved to be quite true.)
I met a fellow traveler while I was in Brussels, and she told me something that helped me then and will help me even later in life. She said, “Whenever I see a new face walk in, I smile and say ‘hello’; it’s the simplest conversation-starter and most effective ice-breaker and you just can’t go wrong with that.”