You´re so brave for doing this.
That’s the statement, followed by shining eyes and excited smiles, that I heard again and again during the ten days that I spent away from my home country to explore a whole new different continent for the first time, all by myself.
At first, it really did not click to me why did complete strangers get so moved about my experience that they felt compelled to share the perplexity out loud. But after returning to my ordinary routine, I´ve come to realize two fundamental truths about those two weeks:
Number one: it was a bit irrational to catch a plane without nothing but hope that it would work out. But it did change me, for good, in many ways that I’m not fully able to explain yet.
Number two: people don’t do this often, and they should.
PART one: DREAMS
Yes, real eyes realize that this was a Hamilton’ reference, which coincidentally leads to my first point that should convince you of taking this risk: the feeling of accomplishment when a dream comes true is unmatched to anything else.
This journey was first and foremost a child fantasy of mine. For years I daydreamed about getting to know London, the city where my favorite band was assembled, where the movies that I watched a thousand times were filmed and to watch one of my favorite’s musicals – Hamilton – live on a real stage. The fact that I was able to actually do all of that, and so much more, reinforced to me that we are allowed to have goals, no matter how out of reach they feel.
This world is so big, it holds countless amounts of adventures, places and stories waiting to be found, and there’s no need to believe that you don’t have what’s necessary to go after them. If you plan, save and prepare yourself, when the moment finally comes, you will not only feel happiness, but, mostly, pride for what you did. Coming back home with this consciousness of development is going to make you feel great about yourself.
PART TWO: FREEDOM
The second topic is regarding this self-growth in question. Every trip is an opportunity to experience new foods, architecture and culture in general, but, besides it being a considerable part of my time abroad, that’s not what I want to talk about here. The aim of this dissertation is to highlight the benefits of specifically learning how to make your own company enough for you. I’ve found out to be refreshing to make my own itinerary, with schedules and tours that make me comfortable, and sightseeing only where I genuinely want to go, basically, without having to conform to anyone’s to-do list.
One great friend of mine agreed to share her perception of her own experience in order to provide more points of view to this article. From our conversation, this was the most enlightening part that works as a perfect example to this matter:
“At the beginning of this year I had the opportunity to make my first international trip alone. I spent a month in Argentina, more precisely in Buenos Aires, studying Spanish for 4 weeks. I had traveled to Argentina a few times, but only with my family, never unaccompanied. When you go to other countries alone, you can be sure that the experience will be different. For several reasons, I believe that the main one is independence. The feeling of being alone in another country, while ‘scary’, is fearless, nothing better than planning your trip based on your wishes and making adaptations at the time you see fit”.
Nathalia Molinari, 18, student at Cásper Líbero
I do recall having the thought of “no one is waiting for me, I don’t have a curfew to obey, I can do whatever I want to” certain night, and to be frank, I’ve never felt such freedom like that before.
PART THREE: MEMORIES
One of my mottos in life is that every stranger that you meet is an opportunity to be a different version of yourself and to add something new into your life. In my case, every person that I met during my time in Europe made me realize that I’m not a difficult person to get to know or even like, and the ease of it all was a very special feeling for me. Even though I went by myself I didn’t spend a single day alone, and I am very aware that most of those people will probably never return to my life again, but the magic of it is exactly on the fact that at that moment, none of this matters, and that’s the frame in time that you will keep as a memory forever.
Nathalia also acknowledged this emotion.“You will make friends from all over the world, people from all parts are also traveling at the same time as you, so the chances of making some friends in the hotel/hostel, even on the street, are high, the contact with other cultures is enriching. (…) Collecting memories for a lifetime, troubles and adventures are normal in travel, it is very nice to return home and share all the moments.”.
I also reached to an ex-colleague, a current airline employee, to process through what was in my head when I got back, and during our talk he said something around the lines of “nothing prepared me for the simple fact that the journey I needed was not necessarily tied to the destination I had chosen, but to those who walked it with me”, and it encapsulates everything.
GUIDANCE
To conclude this text, there are a few important things that urge to be considered. I need to acknowledge the fact that I was no stranger to the airports, bookings or traveling procedures before jumping headfirst into this, and that not every flight ticket is under an accessible cost for every dreamer out there right now. So here goes some tips for first time passengers, in case you’re struggling to take your idea out of the paper:
- Make sure that you are aware of every restriction and policy of your ticket fare before purchasing it. You can find good deals with both travel agencies or direct through the airline with the right proportion of search and effort put into it. Don’t take the first one that you find for a good price, that’s also applied for hosting reservations.
- Look for low-cost companies and low demand seasons for your cities of choice.
- Hostels are a great way to meet other travelers and to save money. If you’re a woman, narrow your search for only women accommodations.
- Wise and Nomad are two of the best options for you to open an international account and don’t have to carry cash with you. It also helps with keeping track of your expenses.
- Don’t be afraid to talk, ask for directions or start a conversation with someone new. You won’t see any of these people ever again if you don’t want to.
Embarking on a solo journey offers invaluable lessons and experiences that can truly shape your perspective on life, making it an essential adventure for everyone to undertake at least once in their lifetime.
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The article above was edited by Milena Casaca.
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