Wanderlust is the irresistible impulse to travel and although the summer is over, it doesn’t mean you can’t start looking at your next trip. Travelling can be a huge part of life but it can be daunting, especially in your teens and twenties when you might start travelling solo. However, it will usually end up being the best time of your life, meeting new people, gaining new experiences and learning about yourself!
1. Be Scared
Doing a journey by yourself of any kind is daunting, even if it’s all planned to the last detail. You don’t know who you’ll meet or what will happen but this fear will motivate you to do things you never thought you’d do or meet people you’d never meet, otherwise.
2. Say Hello
Travelling can get lonely, especially if you do it by yourself. Don’t be afraid to say hello. You might end up meeting your new best friend or even your next love interest. Even if they end up being the worst people you’ve ever met, you’ll have some funny memories to share with friends at home.
3. Don’t Say No
Saying no can result in missing out on an amazing adventure and serious FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). You could miss out on swimming on the Great Barrier Reef or meeting a celebrity. Anything can happen when you say yes!
4. Don’t Expect 5 Stars
You won’t be in the best accommodation, or the quietest or the cleanest. You probably won’t shower for a few days. You will definitely see some sort of creature in a place where they shouldn’t be (Cane toad in a toilet, anyone?). You will probably eat something that’s not cow, pork, chicken or fish. Don’t worry too much about it. The likelihood is everyone else is in that situation and you’ll appreciate your own bed at home so much more!
5. Have a Good Music Playlist
Likelihood is that you will a), be travelling for a while and b), not have a way to update your iPod. Make sure you have some good songs on there that you won’t get sick of. It’s also a great way to break the ice when meeting new people. It’ll be ideal for any long coach/plane/train journeys. Also, you feel like you’re in a film, staring out the window with some cool tunes pumping through your headphones!