I started traveling alone from a very early age. Having both my parents living in different cities meant that I had to travel almost every time I wanted to see them. I’ve traveled with family, with groups, and alone. I’ve traveled inside the U.S. and outside. I’ve gone up north to Canada, down south to Argentina, to Israel in the middle east, and there’s still a lot I want to see. No matter how far or with who the travel may be, you can always learn from getting away and experiencing new and different areas of the world.
Today I want to share five things that no matter where I travel, I always keep in mind before, during, and after my trip. Here we go:
1) Design Structure
I started planning trips for my family when I moved to the United States. As one of the few living here, they wanted help with the language and the accommodations to make sure they got the best deals. This is how I started getting experience on how to schedule and plan trips, how to reach out and talk to hotels, car rental places, restaurants, and parks. It’s not difficult, but it takes time and patience, so the earlier you start the easier it will be.
When it comes to planning a trip, I recommend taking your time choosing a date and a location, as this decision is the most important one before you travel. Look at the activities, the cost of travel, and the weather during the time you want to travel.
Once you have the dates and the location ready, I would recommend booking your stay as soon as possible. I like to use Airbnb most of the time for casual travel with family and hotels when traveling alone or in groups for convenience reasons.
For the actual activities, I like to plan one activity per day, depending on the rhythm of your trip, and may want to leave room for moving around the area, resting, and unforeseen fun. You don’t want to have a schedule so tight that it feels like a burden and not fun at all.
I recommend getting the logistics out-of-the-way first and leave breathing room in your schedule every day for the unexpected things that could come during your travels.
2) Pack Light
“Pack” and “Light” don’t belong in the same sentence you might be thinking. When it comes to traveling, my dear reader, they do. I’ve been in multiple trips where I pack half of my closet and say, “this should be enough”, without putting proper thought to the clothes I may be wearing. Or have you been in a trip and you get to the airport only to see you packed two full size suitcases for a 10-Day trip to the beach. You and I both know you will not be wearing all those clothes. It almost looks like you’re taking a piece of your home with you. Believe me, the people at the airport checking you in also notice these things.
I think most of us have been there. And if you are still there, don’t worry there’s still hope for you.
I personally try to make outfits for each and every day of my trip and throw 2 extra outfits in case of an emergency. Make sure they are versatile, and you can combine them with multiple options. This goes back to planning your trip. If you know the activities and the weather, you should know how to dress for them. I’m talking to you, shorts and flip-flops traveler in the middle of December to New York City.
The biggest takeaway out of this is for you to make sure you stay hands free. I usually try to do one check-in or carry-on luggage and one backpack. You don’t want to roll around two suitcases around all day while you travel.
3) Prepare for Waiting
This is the most underrated part of the trip. We plan for the time before and after we reach our destination, but what about the actual travel time? Think back to the last time you traveled. What did you do while sitting in the car, bus, train, or airplane? If your answer is nothing, listening to music, or sleep, we need to talk. Mind you, there’s nothing wrong with either of those activities, because nothing is still doing something, but you could be maximizing your time with other activities.
When I travel, I like to bring my iPad, my current book, and my journal with me. I try to write, read, and stimulate my mind with strategy games.
Air travel makes it easy now with fully interactive entertainment screens with the latest movies, and tv shows right in front of you, but don’t let that absorb you too much, you got more important things to do.
4) Absorb the Culture
I learned this from traveling with my dad and I apply it to everywhere I travel now. He used to reach out to the locals and ask them simple questions to start a meaningful conversation like, “how’s your day going?” or “how long have you been living here?” He would then go into learning how they live, how the country is, what is there to do, and what are the places the locals frequent to.
No matter where you go, step out of your comfort zone and embrace the culture you are experiencing around you.Try to learn the most you can from it and respect it for being different and unique.
5) Immerse in Growth
Most importantly, engage in self-development. I always do this by bringing everything into perspective by asking, “why am I here?” and “what is my purpose?” I’ve learned that moments away traveling gives us the time and space necessary to really dive deep into these thoughts and examine our priorities. This might be a little uncomfortable at first, but with enough time, it will be truly liberating, so take the time to do this and write everything down in your journal.
Traveling alone is a journey to discover yourself through the experiences you live when you are in an unknown territory. If you would like to know how I choose a destination, feel free to let me know and I’ll be writing about that.