Solo Travel: My 5 Biggest Concerns.

Now that I have finished my exams and have 3 full months of summer ahead of me, I’ve been writing lists. Lists of things I want to do, places I want to go, lots and lots of lists of stuff I’d love to accomplish before starting my 5th year of med school come September.

More than half of the things on my “lists” are or have something to do with travelling to places…alone. Why alone? Well, thing is, I’ve always enjoyed my independence since starting university (especially it being abroad), and so I tend to prefer doing things that I want to do, and at my own pace.

If there’s one thing that would mess up a good trip is being tied down to someone else’s schedule, or them to yours. It just kills the fun in travel.

Ok, now about this post. As I’ve mentioned, summer’s here and travel is the theme! 🙂 Haha, does that even make sense? Anywhos, I’m gonna be taking my first solo trip in a couple of weeks and as much as I’m excited about it, I’m super freaked out as well.

My head’s been filled with all these crazy scenarios that have made me postpone the trip over and over again. These are what I’m talking about:

1. What if I find myself in harm’s way?

Having watched a million crime documentaries, trust me to be afraid of even the slightest gust of wind. I still wonder why I haven’t bought myself some pepper spray already. But then my heart’s like, “Come on. You’ll be fine.”

2. What if I get lonely?

As someone who thrives in solitude, I can’t understand how this question keeps popping up in my mind. Perhaps, I’m just afraid of having to adjust to a new environment alone. I don’t know. We’ll see.

3. Medical emergencies?

Accidents happen all the time. And if I’ve been able to stay safe at home, I should be fine anywhere else. I hope.

4. What if I get lost?

I’m fine with getting lost in the morning. I see that as an opportunity for some adventure and exploration. Problem is getting lost in the evening, with no taxi numbers to call, and no public transport around to hop onto. Now, that scares me.

5. What if it isn’t as good as I expected?

Yeah, this too. Though I highly believe it might depend on my mood that day. I just hope it won’t be a case of, “Oh, ok. So that’s the beach. I guess we’re done here.” That would be such a waste of energy and resources. If only I was assured of rushing adrenaline the whole time.

As much as my head’s trying it’s best to alert me of possible threats, my whole heart just wants to be set free, and wander away. And that’s exactly what I’m gonna do. 🙂

Always follow your heart. You learn from the experiences in your life, whether good or bad. If you don’t take the leap of faith, you will never learn. And you will never grow.

Always be kind.

Dee.

❤