Ciao everyone, let me share with you my tip for traveling and becoming a solo traveller. My first solo trip was at the age of 16 to France, for just a few days. Being from Turin, Italy, Nice was not too far away, but the thought of changing trains made me panic. However, years later, at the age of 19, I took my longest solo trip yet to Australia.
I remember feeling so out of place at my full-time job, realizing that the city and environment were not where I wanted to be. That’s when I decided to take the leap and embark on a solo travel adventure. It was scary, but I was ready for the challenge. So if you’re thinking about solo travel, let me tell you, it’s worth it!
I quit my job
I decided then to quit my job and to travel as far as I could, and the first Continent I thought about was obviously Australia. 31 hours far away from Italy (at least at that time)!!
I still remember the conversation I had with my family at dinnertime, one night, when I put on the table the print of my Australian Working Holiday Visa and they were shocked.
“Where are you thinking of going? You don’t even speak the language! It’s so far away” They asked about the destination, expressed concerns about the language barrier and distance, pointed out the lack of connections and accommodation, and criticized the decision to quit a well-paying job for what they considered a trivial reason.
I always had a very strong personality and as soon as they stopped to discourage me, I immediately replied “I’m going to Perth first. I’m planning to travel the whole Australia in one year. I will learn the language. It’s perfect that it’s so far away. I will meet people. I will find a place to stay. This is not a tantrum, this is my life!”
Tip #1 for solo traveling
Very dramatic, I know, Italian people love the drama, I’m not going to lie! I said those words with fierce and with confidence, and here we are with my first tip – YOU must to BELIEVE YOU CAN DO IT. Everything must start with yourself believing in yourself only. Don’t listen to anyone, not even your closest friends or your family.
You’re the only one who is going to rain on your parade!
This is the hardest part of the journey, after this step, everything will go smoothly.
My journey in Australia wasn’t as easy as I thought, BUT I always believed in myself and this helped me so much you don’t even imagine until you try it for yourself.
Tip #2 for solo traveling
The second tip of travelling solo I always tell people is to put themselves out there.
You don’t speak the language of the place you’re going to visit?! Try to express yourself as much as you can. Try some gestures, try with a big smile, try, try, try, don’t you stop yourself because of the language barrier.
You want to talk with that girl or guy who seems alone too at the coffee shop, or in the park, or at the bar…do it! If she or he doesn’t want to talk with you you will definitely get the vibe. You think it’s weird and you don’t want to look crazy?! WHO CARES? If it’s something you really want, you don’t have to care about what people will think.
You don’t want to go alone at the restaurant because you are worried people will stare at you all the time?! If they do so, GREAT, ask them if they want a picture, and ask them ££!! It’s always a good idea to earn money while you’re traveling, more money spent on glasses of wine! Don’t you think?!
Tip #3 for solo traveling
No, seriously. The third tip is actually – don’t care what people think. You, and only you, will enjoy this journey completely. As much as you want.
I learned to travel solo with these 3 fundamental tips and I’ve visited almost 40 countries so far, 90% on my own!
When you’re going to start to travel on your own you will automatically improve such other skills as problem-solving, take more risks, see things differently, you will learn how to depend on yourself rather than others, you will become flexible and you will learn to trust your guts.
It’s just amazing what you can do on your own and what you can learn from traveling Solo.
0 Comments