Solo Travel

What it do Baby!! (favourite intro I've ever heard, shoutout to the claw). I was asked by a friend to make this post since they had a lot of questions about making their first experience on exploring the world by themselves. These are some tips/guide based on my experience of sorts, lets see how this goes.... Not to state the obvious but I'm going to do it anyways. Pick a location & the amount of days the trip will be, along with a budget which I believe is the biggest key to the trip. The amount of funds that you have will enable you to get a more extravagant experience. 

With that out of the way lets move on to the trip. Plan the trip especially if travelling outside of the your home area to another country. The attractions you're going visiting, transportation (cant stress this enough!!) the language, any type of local traditions & customs. Since we live in the 21st century I don't think a translation book is necessary if you're going to have internet access (translation app). {Making an effort in the local language makes a huge difference on how people interreact with you. You cant assume people speak your native language, you are in fact in their country. Don't be an asshole!! Don't get upset if people are unable to understand you. It will happen.} With that being said, depending on your cell carrier you might have service already. If not, you have other options; you can buy a sim to use while you're at the location. There's also a free route just use Starbucks & Wi-Fi from hotels, that is if going to populated city. 

Moving on, strike up a conversation with a local at a restaurant or the hotel or café, you could get some insider tips. Nothing wrong with meeting new people, for the most part people are friendly. Some of the best experiences I've had has all stemmed from talking to people. That being said safety can be an issue; so it would be wise to know where your local embassy is, police station & locations of  hospitals. Use your situational awareness, if a situation doesn't feel right, don't do it. Personally, I don't give out that much personal information, nothing that wasn't posted on social media already.

Talking about social media, be your own photographer. All you really need is your cell phone, mobile cameras are really good these days. Take picture of yourself, take picture of others & places. An easy way to obtain photographs from popular sites & that is to signup for a sightseeing tour. They're relatively cheap & you see the majority of the popular sights. Being on this trip alone, you're making all the decisions on your own. Welcome to total freedom, eat, drink & do what you want (within reason, don't commit crimes). You are now in a place where no one knows you, you don't anyone either. If you want, this could be the reinvention of yourself. Submerge yourself in the local culture, do things you normally wouldn't do at home. The freedom you obtain from going to a new place could be scary, but the fruits of life lie on the other side of fear. (Read that in book or something)

I recommend everyone go at least one solo trip once in their life. Will there be challenges you didn't plan for sure, will you feel out of place most likely. As long as you overcome these new obstacles & sort out a solution. You have just learned new things about yourself. Regardless if the trip is good or bad new memories will be made & you have put yourself through things that you personally haven't done. That in itself to me makes it all worth it.