BootsnAll Travel Community

I'm desperate to go travelling and see as much as i can but i'm scared-the world seems so big and far away. i'm not the kinda girl who usually has only three t-shirts in her luggage to choose from an i'm a fan of everything being ironed-i dont know how i'd get on with pulling whatever i'v worn least out of rucksac i'v been carting about in luggage holds on trains for 6 months. Also i'd need to travel on my own which worries me: (1) cos i think i'd be lonely and (2) what if something happens/goes wrong-i'm on my own. Also the world is big-where would i go-what will i do once i get there and what if i miss all the good places? These worries might sound stupid to you seasoned travellers but everything about travelling scares the hell out of me and the more i read and research the more afraid i become-but i can't stop reading or dreaming about going. Have any of you experienced anything like this before? how did you get over it? Or is it just that i'm not cut out for travelling?

to be honest i don't know where to start with a reply. i am due to start on a rtw in the next few weeks and it can be quite daunting.

you'll find a load of posts on here about meeting people, safety tips, solo female travel etc so i'd just get searching this site to have your mind eased. basically everyone else seems to be doing it so why shouldn't you. the world is a big scary place only if you meet some big scary person...most people in the world mean you no harm at all and you'd be one of the unlucky ones if the scarryness turns real.

and yes you are on your own if something goes wrong, but the global travel community will be there to help you out, walk into a hostel if you're in a fix and i reckon someone would try and help you out. there's also your embassy etc that will help, and if things go bad then if you've got the money you're only a flight away from home.

you say you've done no travelling before. if you're as worried as you seem then why not do something a little less daunting to start with and see how you like it...maybe interailing round europe for a month or two.

best of luck

start small. find an airfare on sale and take a lil trip to the Continent and see what you learn from it. you dont have to tackle the whole world in one fell swoop. pack a bag (or suitcase) and take off for 2-3 nights. that short exp. will give you a glimpse of what a longer trip might be like, plus will teach you things like how much weight you wanna carrry around and if you like the whole hostel scene. i see you are from scotland...heck, just take a bus to inverness or edinburgh and stay in a hostel. even if youve been those places before, the hostel scene will allow you to exp. it as a traveller.

most of all, relax!
zopa

Zopa's right, just take it slow. Your first trip need not be a solo RTW. Just start with a weekend trip with a friend, then one by yourself, then just branch out a little bit. As you have more experiences and deal with the little hassles of travelling effectively, you will gain confidence and be able to take bigger and bigger steps. Just relax and take it slow. No need to do everything at once.

Everybody here is right: start off small. I just finished a year on my own in Africa and had a wonderful time. When I first decided that I wanted to go on the trip though I was very intimidated and a bit frightened by the idea. I travelled a couple times in Europe and a bunch of times in the States before I went. So, when I left for Africa it wasn't nearly as intimidating or scary-seeming as it was initially.

The more you travel, the less frightening travel and the world away from home will seem. You will deal with small things going wrong and find you can do it and discover that you can handle new and different situations. This is a great boost for confidence both travelling and at home.

And just because lots of us hear talk about how wonderful our travels are doesn't mean that the people on these boards aren't a bit daunted by their travels. I suspect that most of us were at least a little scared on our first trips. In fact, I still get a bit nervous almost every time I cross a border. But it is oh so very much worth it!

The hardest part of travel, I think, is getting up the courage and taking the leap to leave your everyday life and just go.

And, it will probably be hard to keep your few t-shirts unwrinkled. You will most likely get bored of your clothes on a long trip. But, in many places in the world clothes are cheap enough that you can just buy a few new t-shirts and donate or trade the old ones when you get sick of them.

re:wrinkled clothing: polyester does not wrinkle

yeah but polyester ist everyones cup of tea

I think you should make a list of your top 5 favorite places to go: check it off. For my first trip to Europe I joined a group tour because I was scared to go by myself. Besides, hotels usually charge more for single stay. Also, they took care of everything & though it was a bit rushed, I did visit my top 2 places (London & Paris). Last year, I went to Asia (Hong Kong to visit my sister, we also stopped over in Singapore & Thailand to spend a few days there). This year, I hope to go to Shanghai, Nanxun & Suzhou. If I have time, I'd also like to visit Australia.

To answer the topic question, is everybody right for around the world? I doubt it. And, on the converse, is RTW right for everyone? No.

Traveling does not necessarily mean RTW.

I agree with Zopa...do some little trips and check that out. Go for a month and travel the Continent, etc.

You can travel safely as a solo female, many of us have. I personally have and love it. And have never had any desire whatsoever to do a RTW. I couldn't live out of my backpack for that long. It's right for some, not for others, and just because it may not be right for you doesn't mean no travel is right for you. You just gotta find what works.

Yeah, I've been on many shorter trips (2-3 weeks and less), and consider myself a seasoned traveler, but this RTW thing does scare me a bit too. I would not recommend it to someone who hasn't done much traveling. So ditto on the shorter sample trips first.

For the wrinkles, roll your clothes and don't take jeans, unless they're those lightweight, non wrinkle kind.

hey there, i'm one month into my 1 year RTW and am currently in SE Asia... if i were you, consider the well-trodden backpacker routes to combat the loneliness...hostels with dorms are fantastic for conversations... i'd also suggest a small, cheap group tour somewhere along the way. I am really surprised at how quiet the first month has been in SE Asia... i'm hoping the second month will be a lot more social (thailand... sure that won't be a prob)... the third month will be on an organised tour with Gap Adventures (Vietnam, top to bottom). I'm hoping that a balance between independent/group travel will keep the momentum going. There are times when you REALLY want to share the special moments... I'm in Langkawi at the moment and it's absolutely fantastic (would love to share it with someone)... but to relax and sunbathe only... I'm sure Phuket will make up for it! I've travelled before, and have probably experienced 1 or 2 days of boredom/loneliness... but to tell you the truth, it's a fantastic experience turning up to new places every 3 days or so.

Hi Brugal,

I'm planning my own first big trip, also solo, starting around the end of summer (exact timing dependent on when I can get out from behind my own desk) and I'm finding the whole prospect pretty daunting too. Like you, though, I'm certainly not going to let it stop me - if anything, all the more reason to go. So I, and I suspect many others, know how you're feeling right now. There's only one way to find out whether or not you're right...

You're in Scotland, but you don't say where - if you take that short trip to Edinburgh drop me a PM and if you like we can meet up for a pint and have a laugh at the things we're finding to worry about. Not doing your ironing though

Am anxiously sitting here and counting down the days until i leave for my RTW trip. I am about to leave for my RTW trip in 6 weeks, mostly happy and sometimes a scary thought. I have just resigned from my job that i love, which also paid well and leaving a fantastic network of family and friends. Am i crazy? I sometimes think so! Am I scared? Absolutely. Not a day goes by where i don't think about it. This is not my first time travelling, however it is the first time i am travelling solo. In the past few weeks there has been doubts, crazy thoughts and most of all thinking how much i am going to miss my family and friends and a safe haven that i call home. I have researched the places i would like to visit to the nth degree and i am very sure that there will be times where i will feel completely out of depth, get frustrated and annoyed when something does not go to plan, run out of monay and possibly even cry somewhere in the world .
But on the flip part, it is such an exciting adventure out there. And whenever i get worried that i am not cut of for travelling solo, i look back at past travel photos and read many posts on the bna site and realise that i will be apart of the community who have travelled and have had a fantastic time. I have had my share of doubts these past few months, finding the bna site has been a godsend and makes me realise that if others can do it, than so can I. If you never never go, you never never know. Wishing you all the best for travelling and remember that there are many others who are thinking and feeling just like you, it does not mean you are not cut out for it. When you get off the plane at a new destination, it will all be worth it. When you are feeling lonely and need to be in touch with family and friends, you can always call them no matter what - reverse charged phone calls exist for a reason.

quote:

Originally posted by Ian Bavill:
yeah but polyester ist everyones cup of tea

ought to be.

silk does wrinkle.