7 Tips for Traveling on Your Own
Solo travel can be daunting, but it is one of the most freeing things you can do. You don't want to pay for that overpriced park fee? Don't go! You just want to find a shady spot to relax? Go for it! Still, all that autonomy comes at a cost: traveling alone can be dangerous and a little bit lonely.
So here are 7 tips to help you to relax and seize the moment (while remaining safe) in a foreign country.
1. Research before you travel
This may seem obvious, but you would be surprised how many people don't bother to research where are the best deals, what are the safety tips, and even where are the best spots for whatever activies you like to do. If you can visit it, someone has blogged about it, so seek out those first hand, visitor experiences and reviews. That way, you can save yourself a lot of headache. For example: I went to South Korea and decided to go to all the temples on a Monday, but they were all closed on that day. If I had looked it up before, I wouldn't have spent two days doing the same thing!
2. Be flexible
Things don't always work out they way you had planned. You will get those train routes confused, or get lost, or confuse the currency, or do something else accidentally that will have you muttering in frustration. It may even be something completely out of your control, like visiting Taipei 101 on a rainy, overcast day. Do not worry! If you accept it, and just go with the flow, you will find a way to make the most of the situation. Who knows? The new plans may end up being even more fun, and you may interact with new people along the way.
Which reminds me...
3. Interact with locals
Don't be scared to open up to people- especially people who know the country. Some countries are more dangerous than others, so you should be careful about how much information you give others, but if you trust your gut and open up, you can find yourself in the company of great people who will help you make lasting memories.
4. Walk wherever you can!
Again, this depends on the country you are in, but for a place like Taiwan, walking is not only safe, but allows you pass many restaurants, cafes, cool stores, and parks that you probably would have missed had you caught a cab everywhere.
besides, this way, you will come back home fitter with cooler pictures ;)
5. Pictures! Pictures! Pictures!
Pictures speak a thousand words, and allow you to relive moments again and again, but don't take pictures for others! Take them for yourself. Take pictures of things you would like to remember, and people you don't ever want to forget.
6. Rediscover yourself
One of the hardest lessons in life is learning how to be alone. Don't give into the trap of following the usual tourist routes. Figure out what you like by trying new things.
Don't be scared to zipline. Don't be too lazy to go on that mountain trail! You may end up hating it, but odds are that something will stick, and you will return home with a new sense of confidence.
7. Be open minded
I cannot stress this enough! With a positive mind, anything can seem interesting. There are lessons to be learned everywhere, so don't write off new experiences or people as "weird" or "silly". Try to understand new pespectives. You will be surprised how something as easy as changing your attitude can color your day.
