My First Solo Overseas Trip in My Mid-Thirties
I've always been a planner, so when I traveled, I used to map out every route in advance—but this time I deliberately went without planning anything. On the first day, I got lost near my accommodation and wandered around for an hour, and I had no idea that would be so much fun.
On the second day, I went to a restaurant a local had recommended, and it wasn't listed on any travel app. I couldn't read the menu either, so I ended up pointing at things with my finger to order from the owner, and that's the most memorable part of the trip.
On the flight back, I thought about how not planning isn't irresponsible; rather, it's what makes a trip something you truly experience. Next time, I'm thinking of trying a month-long stay too.
What I'd like to say to people taking their first solo trip is: don't try to prepare perfectly. Something's going to happen anyway.
6 answers
Agreed, now this is real travel.
Oh, I didn't know that. Is not making plans really that good?
Well, that's a bit... If it's your first overseas trip, isn't going without a plan risky? I went on my first solo trip too, and my phone battery died, so I couldn't find my accommodation for two hours lol. And when you can't even speak the language, moving around with no information isn't romantic—it's just luck. At the very least, let's have the accommodation address and a local emergency contact ready.
I can really relate to ordering by pointing at local restaurants. Even if you can't read the menu, the owner gets the gist and brings you whatever's most popular. I went one step further and pointed at what the next table had, and that turned out to be the most delicious lol. That said, I wrote down the accommodation address and a copy of my passport on paper. Just that one thing gave me a psychological safety margin.
I feel the same way. The times I just walk without a plan are the ones I remember the longest.
A month-long stay is a whole different level of difficulty lol. A week can kind of coast by, but if you wing a month, you'll literally get nothing done and just end up watching YouTube in your room. Going without a plan and going without any kind of living setup are completely different things, so prepare a bit for that.