Every one of us already thought of traveling solo. How cool would it be to pack your bags, take a flight, and enjoy a nice vacation with no one telling you where to go and what you can and cannot do? But in reality, we have numerous excuses as to why we never managed to travel alone no matter how many summer vacations and holidays passed. If there is one thing that truly stops people from going on solo travels, that would be their lack of confidence to take the trip. If only gaining a solo traveler’s confidence is as easy as taking a pill, everyone will have no reasons to skip traveling alone.
Some people are naturally adventurous. They can easily take the plunge no matter what they put their hearts into. But for most people, they have to build the courage before making the jump.
If this is your dilemma, know that you are not alone. Many get anxious about the idea of solo travel. It is also not unusual to feel stressed out as your travel date draws near. To help build your solo travel confidence, here are a few tips you can try.
Prepare Yourself Physically and Mentally
Some travelers want spontaneity and thrive in experiencing the unknown. But as a first-time solo traveler, the best way to boost your confidence is by knowing you will go armed and prepared. Aside from your essentials, there are other things you can do to prep yourself physically and mentally for the trip.
First, you want to make sure you are fit and healthy to travel. Call your general practitioner and inform him about your travel at least two weeks before your trip. This is especially true if you are taking medications that could be unavailable or prescriptions that are regulated in your travel destination.
They can prescribe extra prescriptions you can take. They can recommend a vaccine if necessary on your travel destination. Your GP can even give you a valuable tip or two to maintain your health while on your own.
You also want to make sure you don’t skip your dental appointment before you travel. If you find that your next schedule is still months away, you can always grab a whitening kit to give your pearly whites a boost. This will help increase our confidence when talking to new people while on the trip and potentially make friends while you’re away.
Use Your Fear to Fuel Your First Trip
Most people let their fear stop them from taking risks. But if you choose to do otherwise, you can finally make your dream come true of traveling alone. Your fear is the only thing that stops you from achieving your goals.
Remember that your fear will never go away unless you take the courage to take the first step. Don’t allow what-ifs to hold you back. Instead, turn them into why-not sand step on your fears instead.
Fear breeds fear and confidence breeds confidence. Would you rather live your whole life wondering what would have happened and how it would have felt to go on solo travels? Why wait until you are in your senior years before living your dream when you can do it now by making a choice and making it happen?
Research Solo Travel Safety Tips
What better way to increase your travel confidence than arming yourself with knowledge? It is a must that you know the basics of travel safety. But it also pays to do your own research and learn about the common travel scams and fraud common in your travel destination.
You may feel terrified or anxious after learning about how dangerous traveling solo can be. But with your newfound knowledge, you can use this to better safeguard yourself and avoid these scams from ruining your trip. Doing your research also enables you to prepare enough cash so you don’t have to worry about running out of funds while on the trip.
Find Yourself a Cheerleader
It is quite amazing how the encouraging words and support of someone can help you build the courage to do the things you fear the most. If you find that your fear is too much for you to handle, why not get yourself your own cheerleader? Reach to your loved ones who already tried traveling alone multiple times and you can get an instant confidence boost.
Just be careful with whom you share your travel plans. There is no point in sharing your plans to travel alone on social media. Talk to someone who you feel and know will be ecstatic to learn that you finally had the courage to go on a trip by yourself.
They say traveling solo can help make you a more confident person. But deciding to travel alone already shows you’ve taken the first step in building your confidence. Sometimes, all it takes is to say yes to your first solo trip so you can both build your travel confidence and enjoy the perks that traveling solo has to offer.
