Like every other student, I had thoughts about what to do for my spring break. Being in a new country, and eager to explore it, I was confused on how to select a destination. After talking to friends, family and researching online, I finally made up my mind to go to Miami. Now the next question-who will come along?
I asked a few friends, but everyone already had other plans. I was about to cancel mine when I suddenly realized that I came to the USA alone, so why not go to Miami alone? From there I decided that I am going to spend my spring break in Miami by myself.
It sounded exciting and adventurous. My mom was scared, I’ll admit I was a bit too, but I was more excited and I started making a list of things to do. Obviously, it had beaches, clubs, shopping and suddenly a question popped in my head- “Where am I going to stay?”
I had no friends or relatives there. I started looking for hotels, hostels and my colleague gave me the idea of doing Airbnb or Couchsurfing to save money. I looked for few options but did not like any. My trip was just 4 days away and I had no place to stay!
As the rates of hotels reached their peak, I suddenly got a notification that a guy had accepted my Couchsurfing request. I started making plans from there and finally, the day came to leave for Miami.
When I reached Miami, I took a cab to my host’s home. I received a call from a friend saying that downtown Miami was not a safe place to go, but I had no other option at that time and had to take the risk. When I reached the apartment I was amazed. It was a beautiful building with a gym, sports area, and clubs downstairs ( I can sum up by saying it was equivalent to a hotel). There were two guys and a girl who made me feel at home and I had my own couch and balcony with an amazing view.
The next morning, I was all set to go out and enjoy with my bag in one hand and camera in the other. I shopped and went to the mall, beach, art center, clubs and even a candlelight dinner all by myself. It helped me to get to know myself better, make new friends and gain confidence. I have been on trips with huge groups, but from this experience, I can say there is nothing like traveling alone. I am looking forward to more trips like this. My advice? Don’t be afraid just step out and be confident!