Jessica Nabongo: Solo Travel Tips To Go On Trip Alone

Many of us save our trip days for a visit with our household or our greatest pals, however solo journey will be thrilling, liberating and fulfilling in ways in which getting out of city with others isn’t.

But if we’re going to attempt heading out on our personal, what ought to we all know earlier than we go to make our foray for one the very best it may be? And if we’ve by no means tried solo journey earlier than, the place ought to we begin?

That’s what we — Raj Punjabi-Johnson and Noah Michelson, co-hosts of HuffPost’s “Am I Doing It Wrong?” podcast — requested Jessica Nabongo, a solo travel expert who has visited each nation on this planet and is the writer of “Catch Me If You Can: One Woman’s Journey To Every Country in the World.”

“First, go to dinner by yourself in your city,” Nabongo informed us. “I think there’s little baby steps. Go to a movie by yourself. Go to an art museum by yourself. Get comfortable in a place where you’re already comfortable doing things on your own. Then maybe … do a road trip within three or four hours [of your home].”

She stated that is like “solo travel training wheels,” and permits you to really feel secure when you’re experimenting with the way it feels to do issues by your self.

Then, when you’re able to improve to touring overseas, Nabongo steered visiting a spot “that you feel confident and comfortable being in,” which is able to in all probability be a rustic the place the locals communicate a language that you simply perceive.

You must also work out what sort of lodging you need, as this will set the vibe for your complete journey. Nabongo prefers lodges as a result of she likes having “everything at [her] fingertips,” however she famous that hostels are ceaselessly less expensive and generally is a great spot to fulfill different folks, which is usually necessary to solo vacationers.

Regardless of what you select, Nabongo emphasised that you simply shouldn’t let excellent be the enemy of fine in the case of planning your journey.

“Find something that’s within your budget today, as opposed to putting [a trip] off for years because you’re like, ‘I want to do it this very, very specific way…’ If COVID taught us nothing else, I think it taught us to live now,” she stated.

Once Nabongo arrives wherever she’s touring, the very first thing she at all times does is search for the motive force of the automobile she booked upfront.

“I’m not trying to figure out public transportation after an eight-, nine-, 10-hour flight,” she stated. “I like a little sign with my name on it, just so that I can settle in very easily. Then you can talk to that person on the way to the hotel [and] start to get the lay of the land.”

Otherwise, except for reserving reservations at just a few eating places, she doesn’t prefer to plan an excessive amount of of her journey.

“A lot of people will be made more comfortable by having concrete plans — that’s great — but you have to leave some space for spontaneity as well,” she stated.

“This doesn’t apply to solo travel specifically, but when my husband and I travel, we always pick one cultural thing to do in the morning … and then we leave the afternoon totally open to sort of fall into things,” he stated. “We like that because then we definitely see things — we have a little bit of a plan … but there’s still room for the magic of just discovering things in a new place.”

As for the anxiousness many individuals could have about being lonely whereas touring alone, Nabongo reemphasized test-driving your solo journey by doing issues near house by your self till you’re able to attempt someplace farther away. She additionally stated she likes to eat on the bar of a restaurant as a result of there are “a lot of other solo people at the bar and you also can talk to the bartender, so that’s kind of like a little built-in conversation.”

Michelson famous {that a} psychologist who was a visitor on an episode of “Am I Doing It Wrong?” about making friends as an adult stated human beings typically misjudge how’re they’re going to be perceived in social conditions and fear that individuals gained’t like them, so that they don’t go up and introduce themselves.

″[In reality], individuals are pleasant — they do need know your story, so in case you simply can get out of your individual method and simply attempt speaking to the individual sitting subsequent to you on the bar … actually cool issues can occur,” he stated.

We additionally chatted with Nabongo about her high three nations for solo journey, her suggestions for staying secure whereas touring alone and rather more, so click on above to listen to the total episode or hear wherever you get your podcasts.

You may watch the full episode on YouTube.

For extra from Jessica Nabongo, go to her website and Instagram.

Have a query or want some assist with one thing you’ve been doing incorrect? Email us at AmIDoingItWrong@HuffPost.com, and we would examine the subject in an upcoming episode.