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Friday, June 19, 2020

5 Things I Learnt From Travelling Alone


Travelling alone was such a learning experience for me. Before my student exchange, I'd only ever flown by myself once and that was a one hour flight to another city in the my home country. Travelling 12 hours total to Singapore was definitely a step up from this and while it was quite scary and daunting at the time, I feel like I took so much away from everything that happened. I know travelling is a bit of a touchy subject at the moment, but I feel like I have so much to say about my student exchange, I just really want to throw out as many blog posts as possible while the experience is still fresh in my mind.

1. It's okay to feel lonely
As freeing as it is to travel by yourself, there's no denying it can get pretty lonely. I really missed having a familiar face sitting in the seat next to me on the airplane. When you're so used to travelling with other people, the first flight alone can be really hard. Feeling lonely is completely normal and it's totally okay. This was something I had to keep telling myself on the way to Singapore and by the time I'd landed, I felt a lot more comfortable with being by myself. 

2. Do your research
Make sure you know what is required of you at the airport in terms of travel papers and documents. I feel like this is something people do already but don't forget to check your info is up to date and if possible, keep checking that none of the information has changed up until the day you leave. I remember in Singapore, I was going to travel to Vietnam with two of my friends however there was a last minute change to one friend's visa requirements which meant she couldn't actually go. This was amidst everything that was happening with the virus so things were already very susceptible to change however it just showed me that this sort of thing does happen and that checking online is really important. 

3. You have to be adaptable
Don't expect everything to go as planned. Not to sound contradictory, but even with all the research and preparation, you can't exactly predict what will happen next. There are some things that are simply out of your control. Travelling during a pandemic definitely taught me that. Learn to be flexible when things don't go the way you want them to. The situation is not always ideal and definitely frustrating at times but I'm a firm believer in things happening for a reason and sometimes you just need to go with the flow. 

4. Don't be afraid to ask for help
When you're flying solo for the first time, there will be things that maybe your friends and family helped you do in the past so you don't really know how to do yourself. Thankfully there are a lot of other people to talk to for assistance. Normally all the airport staff and flight attendants are more than happy to help. In fact, that's one of the main reasons they're there. To point you in the right direction. Also airline companies. I remember when booking my flights home, I called my airline company almost every single day leading up to my departure. In retrospect, that may have been a little excessive however getting reassurance from them was super important to me at the time. 

5. Trust your own instincts
With travelling alone comes a whole lot of decision making. At the end of the day, it's up to you what you choose to do and how you'll go about doing it. I like to think that's one of the perks however with this comes great pressure and responsibility. There were a lot of tough decisions I had to make while I was away and I almost always went with my gut feeling in the end. Of course I liked to get a second opinion every once in a while but most of the time, I had the answer all along. 

Q: Have you travelled alone before? 




13 comments:

  1. It is amazing when you can travel solo and get what you need done! I feel you about traveling solo. I've done it a few times when I had to go on work travel. So important to have everything together! No one else is there to help you. It is important to trust your instincts. Taking the risk isn't worth it all the time! Thanks for sharing your experience!

    Nancy ♥ exquisitely.me

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  2. I love the fact that people feel confident enough to travel solo. It's not for me personally but these are some great points for anyone thinking about a solo trip.

    www.thekellydianereport.co.uk

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  3. This post is great; and I think it's amazing how you travelled solo! I suppose sometimes it can be inevitable if you have free time different from others. I have so many places on my bucket list that I would love to visit; I'm hesitant to travel solo but it would be a great experience. At the moment I might still badger my boyfriend and best friend to join me separately on some of my future adventures. Thank you for sharing x

    Paige // Paige Eades

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  4. What a great post! It's incredible how you managed to travel solo on journey that took twelve hours. The only time I've travelled solo is when I've had to leave early and just figure out the airport on my own and that was stressful enough haha! These are great tips and I totally agree about asking for help; especially with the airlines as thats what they are there for. Great post, it seems like an amazing experience xx

    Hannah | https://luxuryblush.co.uk/

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  5. I haven't ever travelled solo before but it's always nice to read tips like this, especially because they sound like the kind of problems I would run into. Great post!

    Anika | chaptersofmay.com

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  6. I've travelled alone before and I've loved that freedom that solo travel gives you, a great post! x

    Lucy | www.lucymary.co.uk

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  7. I've only travelled alone once and it was purely accidental. It was scary at first but there's something so beautiful about traveling solo though! I'm glad you were safe and had a good time though!

    cabin twenty-four

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  8. I've never travelled alone but it's on my bucket list! I actually had my first mini solo staycation booked for this year, which obviously got cancelled due to covid. Hopefully I can re-arrange that soon!

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  9. I haven’t thought about travelling solo, I have gone to places to meet people and travelled on my own but not a long trip or short trip without anyone else! It sounds like you learned a lot! Thank you for sharing.

    Lauren | www.bournemouthgirl.com

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  10. These are great tips, Annie. I only ever travel by myself for work (and often even there I have company) but I find travelling to new places exciting and not scary - it's definitely best to do your research if you have any doubts though, that always lifts my confidence!

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  11. These are all such great tips. I definitely agree that planning is a big one. I have a much better time when I get out and now what is around me.

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  12. What a great post and useful tips too! Traveling alone can be lonely and a bit scary, but also it can be exciting and insightful. I feel like you notice things more when you are alone as you are not distracted. And when you notice things more you have a more full travel experience. I travel alone to Paris for FW and to visit my step family who live there. So I am not %100 alone but they have busy lives they are working or in school so for the bulk of the time I am on my own. But it is nice to have this base (I stay in my own AIR B-N-B) but still feel adventurous.

    Allie of
    www.allienyc.com

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  13. Having read this I thought it was very enlightening. I appreciate you taking the time and energy to put this informative article together.
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