5 Things I wish I knew before traveling as a solo female backpacker

1. I wish someone had told me that it is okay to not know where you want to go 

Half the fun of traveling long term is not really knowing where you are going next! I always tell people I plan the bones of a trip, which means I have a general outline of where I want to go. I have an idea in my head of the places I want to see, and from there I fill in the gaps when I am on the road. I usually plan the continent or pick out countries that I want to go to, then I go with the flow. I plan about 5 days in advance so I can give myself the peace of mind knowing where I will be sleeping, but also leave it open enough that I can be spontaneous! It is so fun to be able to talk to other travelers, discover a new small town you have never heard of and dive into the unknown! 

2. I wish someone had told me to book a private room once in a while

I am a super budget girl at heart, and on both of my 3 months trips in Europe, I didn’t get one private room (except when I was sick with Covid.) Totally fine, but I started to go a little crazy at the end. I wish someone had told me that it is okay to get a private room, and it won’t kill you to go over your super strict budget. I am very proud of my budgeting skills, so I didn’t want to let myself down, and give up my title of self proclaimed budget queen. I wish someone had told me that it is okay to splurge on a room every once in a while if it makes you happy and especially if you need to rest extra or catch up on sleep! 

3. I wish someone had told me that I didn’t need to drink to make friends 

The first few years I traveled, I was drinking a lot. It is so normalized in hostels, I didn’t really realize it was a problem until I didn’t drink while I was traveling in South East Asia. I had a cocktail or a beer here and there, but I only had a handful of going out nights in Asia. Mostly because I didn’t want to be hungover in such a hot climate. When I first started traveling, I was drinking to fit in and to let loose a bit, but I wish someone had told me that I didn’t need to. I would have avoided a lot of headaches (both literal and metaphorical) if I had listened to them. I also think that is a part of growing up, 22 year old me is very different from almost 30 year old me. I love a cocktail, but I think I have started to grow out of my crazy European party days (thank goodness.)

4. I wish someone had told me to go where I wanted to go, and to not listen to the people around me. 

I usually go to the places I want to go, but there have been several countries I have not visited because I have been told to avoid them or that they are too dangerous. Most of the time, places are not as dangerous as they are made out to be. Sure, it is a good idea to check with other people who are traveling about how safe they felt. Most countries have been villainized on the news and we are subconsciously trained to fear certain places and people. Rio de Janeiro is one of those places. I have been wanting to go since I was 18 years old, but I have been told that it would be impossible for me to go alone. It has stayed in the back of my mind for years, and hopefully next year I will be able to go. I wish I had gone sooner, but I am older and wiser now and that will only help me in my travels. I always wonder what 18 year old me would have thought of Rio all of those years ago. If you want to go somewhere, do the research and go, do not listen to the opinions of people who have never left their hometown.

5. I wish someone had told me that most people are kind, and a smile is universal. 

When you start traveling for the first time, you might think that most people are out to get you or that people are dangerous. Especially coming from the United States where we are constantly taught that other countries and other people are bad. That is just not true. Most people (not 100% everyone but the vast majority) of people are kind. Most people are just trying to live peaceful and happy lives. They are not out to get you. When I first started traveling I was taught to fear the people around me. But how are you supposed to learn about other people in cultures if you lead with fear? Once I realized that I was fed the wrong narrative, I was more open to the people around me and met so many incredible people. Lead with kindness and a smile, it will get you far in life and while traveling.

I hope this shows that there is room for growth and learning during your journey. You do not need to have everything figured out to start traveling. Take it one day at a time and enjoy the ride.

xoxo,

Darby and her Backpack