Are You Traveling Alone? (Part One)

“Yes!” I respond.

Answers I hear back:

“Wow! *Eyebrows raised*

“You’re brave.”
“I don’t think I could have done that at your age.”
“I don’t think I could do that now!”
“Be careful out there.”
“You’re a ballsy chick.”
“You must be meeting up with others, yeah?”
*Alternative question* “You’re not traveling alone, are you..?”

“Wow, good for you, see the world!”

It’s a mixed bag of responses I get from others; some are encouraging and make me excited to continue on, and others worry me a bit, and cause me to question a little this decision I’ve made. But you know what, solo travel is a truly remarkable thing, and something I think everyone should experience, at least once. And, it doesn’t have to be on the other side of the world, it could be for just a few days, a couple hours drive away. Whatever comfort zone you’re comfortable starting with, just make sure to break out of that a little bit and push your limits an appropriate amount - otherwise, you’ll never find out what’s really out there.

Traveling alone for me has been a monumental step forward in what I know myself to be capable of. I’ve always been the baby of the family, so I’ve had my hand held through quite a lot, whether I asked for it or not, so I never really seriously considered doing something like this on my own; I didn’t really think it was an option. If I ever wanted to travel great distances, I would *need* someone to go with me, someone to protect me, show me the way, be a second pair of eyes, ears, and decisions. The idea of traveling alone seemed beyond my reach, something more than I was prepared for.

But clearly,

That’s not the case.

I was sick of being just a dreamer, and I wanted to be a do-er.
I wanted to live up to those dreams, and prove (to myself) that I’m not all talk, but that I’m true to my word too.

So I did it.

The first big step for me was my trip to Japan, and while this wasn’t necessarily a solo trip, arriving there was done on my own.

It was my third ever flight, and I was still a bit unfamiliar with airports and the process that is involved. This was my first flight alone, and it was a big one - the other side of the planet to a country with a wildly different culture, language and alphabets. But, I knew that if I could do that flight on my own, and make it to my destination (where I would then be with my school group from that point on) I knew I could fly just about anywhere else fine. Luckily, I made it to Japan on my own, and for the final leg of my flight, I ran into 3 other members of my group in the airport (which was helpful since at that point, not much was in English anymore).

After that, I knew I could fly from home to San Francisco easy peasy.
And it was true.

I started to become much more comfortable in airports and my worries about missing my flight lifted as I gained confidence in my travel abilities.

Now at this point, I’ve flown solo several times now, but I am still very new to the world of travel, and solo travel - so by no means do I pretend to be an expert.
But I know a few things.

And one of those things I know is that traveling solo gives you confidence.

A lot.

It assures you that you have the ability to take care of yourself and get from point A to B. (And asking people around you for help is *completely* acceptable, in fact, it’s part of the experience!) Traveling alone gives you courage, confidence, self awareness, a better ability to assess the situation, new friends, and so much more. Along my travels, I’ve met many people who I’d say I’ve become friends with. (Especially when you’re camping out in the airport and you form a bit of a pod of other sleepy travelers - a GREAT little community there, plus new friends to watch your bags while you run to the bathroom).

This experience is something big, especially as a solo *female* young traveler - probably the most risky person to do this alone. Of course it’s scary sometimes, and intimidating, and on occasion, you’ll second guess if this is a good idea, but you can’t live your life in fear; you’ll never get anywhere. Just be aware, ask questions, talk to those more experienced than you, do your research, and be smart and really think about your decisions. And TRUST YOUR GUT. 

Always.