Train in The Ways of Solo Travel
Is there a way to practice solo travel before making the jump? The simple answer to that is yes!
That being said, it’s important to keep in mind that even though you can put yourself in these situations, it won’t compare to the actual experience of solo travel.
So what are some things you can do to help you “practice” solo travel? Read on to find out!
Practice Being Less Self-Conscious
This is something that younger solo travelers usually tend to have more problems with (although it can affect anyone regardless of age).
Trying not to be too self-conscious about yourself comes easier to some people than others, but for many people out there, it’s easy to be worried about the opinions of others.
You’re worried about sticking out in a bad way or being judged negatively. Which is good to a certain extent (being self-aware is important when traveling solo),
But if you’re too worried about what others think, your travels will end up feeling like one rough experience after another.
The best way to get over your fears is to start doing things on your own while also having the mindset of being balanced when considering how others perceive you.
What do I mean by that?
What I mean is that you should always be aware of how others perceive you.
But you should also be aware of whether or not their perception of you is something to be genuinely concerned about or if it’s ultimately just a harmless opinion.
This will also depend on the situation and where you travel, but generally speaking, if you can adopt this type of mindset, travel will be a much more streamlined experience for you.
The good news is that solo travel is actually a great way to help you get over this type of fear.
Practice Being More Spontaneous
Spontaneity, unexpected situations, surprising realizations, etc. These types of situations are a big part of solo travel and travel in general.
Whether you like it or not, you will eventually have these types of experiences the longer and more frequently you travel (some good and some bad).
If you want to get a little bit of a head start before leaving on your solo adventure, try being a bit more spontaneous.
Is there a place in your city that you haven’t been to but have always wanted to check out? Go there just to see what it’s like.
Is there a place that serves foreign food that you’ve always wanted to try? Is there an activity you’ve always wanted to learn?
Start doing those things now, just to get the nervousness and awkwardness out of the way.
You might roll your eyes at this, but start living life in the moment instead of waiting for something to happen.
Practice Being More “Lowkey”
When traveling alone, it’s better to try and blend in as much as possible.
I know this can be difficult if you’re coming from a completely different culture, but it’s generally best if you don’t attract too much attention to yourself when traveling alone.
This, of course, depends on where you go and who you associate with, but keeping a relatively low profile can help a lot as far as safety is concerned.
At the same time, you don’t want to be someone completely forgettable. As a solo traveler, you still want to be able to attract others when it comes to meeting people and making friends.
You just don’t want to attract the wrong type of attention. You want to be able to attract people, but at the same time keep a low profile in certain situations, like being in a foreign country or city for the first time.
Learn To Enjoy You’re Own Company
So this might not apply to people who already enjoy being on their own, but I notice that a lot of solo travelers out there end up suffering from feelings of loneliness or isolation.
Something that future solo travelers need to understand is that if you’re going to travel solo, there will be times when you’ll be completely alone.
Now, that won’t always be the case, but if you’re planning on traveling solo, it’s best to think of other hobbies or interests that can occupy your time for those moments when you find yourself alone.
Before you dive into solo travel, try spending more time on your own so that you can be a bit more prepared for future travel.
You can start a new hobby or learn a new skill. You might even choose a hobby that pairs well with solo travel.
If you start now, those moments of solitude won’t make you feel lonely or “at a loss” when you decide to start really traveling on your own.
Practice Talking To More People
If you’re not used to meeting new people or talking to random strangers you might want to practice being more open to having those types of conversations with people.
When you start traveling on your own you’ll have to do this a lot more often.
I know that not everyone wants to do this, but being more outgoing and social will only serve to benefit your experience overall when traveling on your own.
I’m not saying that you have to be a social engineering genius, but if you practice this now it would help you feel more comfortable and confident when meeting new people on your travels.
Who knows if you practice this enough this could turn into a valuable skill that can take you far in other areas outside of travel.
Find Alternative Ways of Getting Around
When you start traveling solo for the first time, you will most likely get around using a mixture of public transportation, ride-sharing apps, and your own two feet.
Unless you decide to rent a car or other type of vehicle, it would be wise to practice doing this just to get used to the experience so that you can plan accordingly.
Doing this can also end up being an interesting experience if you decide to look into the many other ways of traveling, like bikes, boats, trains, and even sports like surfing, snowboarding, skiing, etc.
Practice Calisthenics
Your health and fitness are especially important for solo travel due to constantly being on the move.
If you plan to solo travel and want to keep up with your health, you won’t always have access to workout equipment or places like gyms.
This is where calisthenics and body-weight exercises start becoming a necessity.
If you’re used to going to the gym to get your workout fix, then you might find that it might end up being a bit of a hassle trying to find a gym every time you travel to a new place.
If you start a calisthenics workout now, it’ll be much easier to keep your fitness levels in check when you start traveling on your own.
Just to be prepared, you should really start putting together exercises and workouts that you can do without any equipment.
If you plan to solo travel in the future, taking up a more calisthenic-focused workout would be the best way to stay fit while traveling on your own.
Practice Living On Your Own
If you really want something that will give you the closest experience to solo travel, you can always try living on your own.
If you aren’t all that confident in solo traveling to another country, you can always try living in different places around your city or state.
Of course, it won’t be the same as solo travel to a foreign country, but it’ll give you a good idea of how you would handle things like daily life if you were completely by yourself.
Again, this won’t give you the whole experience of traveling solo to a different country, but it would give you experience that you can use for future solo trips.
Practice Traveling Light
One of the common mistakes that many solo travelers make is overpacking and lugging around multiple pieces of luggage.
If you want to have an easier time with solo travel, try to pack as light as possible. If you think you can get away with just a carry-on, travel will be a lot easier.
If, for whatever reason, you need to bring more than two or three pieces of luggage, just know that all luggage has its pros and cons.
If you decide to bring a large suitcase with built-in wheels, for example,
Just know that these types of suitcases are great if the area you’re traveling to has relatively clean and smooth surfaces.
If not, then you would have a hard time rolling around your luggage on, say, a cobblestone path or any other rough sort of terrain.
In that instance, you would have to carry the luggage off the floor, which, as you can imagine, would get really annoying really fast.
If you want to be a bit more prepared for your next solo trip, next time you decide to go out, try walking or taking the bus while also taking a backpack with you.
If you aren’t used to doing this, it should at least give you some idea of what it would be like to solo travel in another country without the convenience of having a car.
Practice Being More Organized
Being organized makes your travels move along much more smoothly.
The more organized you are, the easier it is to have a more “pick up and go” sort of mentality when traveling on your own. It’ll be easy to gather all your things when you have to move on to your next destination.
I recommend taking advantage of things like apps to keep track of daily necessities, checklists of items, places you’ve been, people you’ve met, and anything else that could benefit from keeping track of.
Even if you decide to only keep track of a few of the items listed above, it would make your travels a lot easier.
Does Practice Make Perfect?
Practicing some of the areas mentioned above can help you prepare for solo travel, but it won’t help with everything. I really think the best way to learn is through experience.
If for some reason your situation prevents you from following your solo travel dreams, working on some of the points above could help a lot when it comes to solo travel for the first time.
If you want to learn more about tips and other helpful advice for solo travel, visit the main page at Traks&Paks.com.
