How To Travel Alone (& not be scared)

I want to start by saying there is absolutely no shame in feeling like you’re going to throw up on the way to the airport. The feeling of a heavy backpack on your shoulders combined with the petrifying fear of the unknown weighing you down is enough to make anyone fall over and let themselves be crushed. I like to gaslight myself into solo traveling, saying “it’s as easy as booking the ticket.” The fact remains though, that it’s not easy. It’s actually really hard. Knowing you are going to be alone for an extended period of time, not knowing who you might meet or where you might end up… it’s nerve wracking. Yes exciting, but all these feeling can swirl around in you until you feel dizzy from it all. I travel alone. A lot. Now that I’ve finished my summer job in New York it’s officially time to drain my savings on seeing the world again! As I dive back into the exhausting reality of living out of a backpack again, I’m reminded of all the good and bad that comes along with the nomadic lifestyle. It’s weird for me when I’m traveling with people. I walk into airports, hostels, bars, walking tours, beaches, restaurants, and anywhere else you can think of… alone. If you’re scared of the unknown world of solo traveling, I have a few pieces of advice for you!

In an attempt to slow the process of me inevitably running out of money, I’ve decided to do some work exchanges over the next couple of months through World Packers. I’ve never done one of these before but according to the TikTok girlies on my fyp it’s all the rage. SO! I decided to book a ticket my favorite way- one. One way non refundable tickets are usually how it goes these days! Now that I’ve moved out of LA and I don’t really have anywhere to live, I decided I want to go all in on traveling and live in hostels for the next several months. This is my first piece of advice. Stay in hostels as often as you can! It is without a doubt the very best way to meet people your age who are on the same wave length as you. I used to book AirBnb after AirBnb but while that can get expensive, it can also get lonely. It’s a lot easier to chat with roommates (who are also probably traveling by themselves) than it is to walk into a bar and introduce yourself. There are obvious pros and cons to hostel living but the social situation is a major pro! It’s so so easy to meet friends and you feel less alone in a new place.

Remember that the first few days are the hardest. Finding your bunk, learning the streets, finding a laundromat, figuring out where you can get groceries and bottled water… that’s the first few days. Once you get the first few days down you are going to be so much more at peace. Remember that everything is temporary and the feeling of being an outsider in a new place is as fleeting as a rain shower. You’ll find your people and your place. Especially if you are doing a work exchange, it’ll just take a few days to figure it out. My cousin tells me all the time that you have to “pick your hard.” You chose this lifestyle, is a few hard days worth weeks of fun and enjoyment? For me the answer is an obvious yes, for others the hard of an airport floor and bunk bed living isn’t worth it. You chose your life, make sure you choose correctly.

Remember that people dumber than you figure this stuff out. Okay maybe it’s not nice to call people dumb and I’m really not, I guess the advice is that you’re smarter than you give yourself credit for. Sit down before you travel and make a plan. Being well prepared saves you a lot of sweat. This morning I flew from New York to Mexico. I had never taken the train to JFK from Brooklyn before, so I left myself ample time. I sat at my gate for over two hours, but I’d rather than than running through the airport, unsure if I’ll make my flight. Leaving yourself time for error is half the battle. Book the flight that has a longer layover, especially in a city you don’t speak the language in. Wake up the hour earlier, grab breakfast on the way, and allow yourself way more time than you think you’ll need.

Don’t overthink it. Planes and trains will come on time. If they don’t, just remember that you’ll figure it out. When the options are fight or flight, I tend to freeze. Early on in my travel journey, I realized you really can’t do that, especially when you’re by yourself. You are the only one who is going to take care of you. It’s an important job and can’t be taken lightly. I remember when my bus broke down in the middle of nowhere on my way to the airport. I had a flight in 5 hours, I was an hour away from the airport, and I freaked out. I was on the verge of tears, I called my mom to explain the situation. I was in the middle of nowhere, Hawaii. I’ll never forget she sort of said… “what do you want me to do?” She was 100% right. She was 5,000 miles away in New York. I chose to go far away from home. I have to be responsible for myself. I calmly asked the bus driver if there was a replacement bus coming because I had a flight, and he said yes it would be there in a little under an hour. I made it to my flight with so much time to spare. I tend to panic or freeze and do all the things you’re not supposed to do but breathing exercises go a long way. Sometimes you’ll miss your flight. Some things are out of your control. By just accepting you can’t travel “perfectly” you’ll relive a lot of stress.

There’s no flawless way of doing it. Some trips are more successful than others, but they’re all experiences you learn from. Remember that life and time keeps moving. You can either freeze and waste time or figure things out for yourself. My sister told me that worrying is just going though the stress twice. There’s no need for it. Assume everything will go smoothly. When it doesn’t you are more than capable to deal with the problem, until then look forward to the exciting world that is solo traveling! I like to make lists of all the things I’m looking forward to. Gas light yourself. I tell myself that there’s absolutely nothing wrong whenever I start to get nervous. Definitely learn the difference between a gut feeling of “don’t do this” and just regular nerves. Unfortunately learning the difference will only come with experience. It’ll never be perfect, but when you look back you’ll be grateful of everything you grew through. Pinky promise.