Your first solo trip: things to consider

I've gotten a few messages from lady friends telling me they want to commit to a solo trip this year. First of all, I LOVE THOSE MESSAGES. By now you can tell I'm a fan of solo travel and believe everyone should try it out at least once, so I get really excited when someone reaches out regarding that. But of course, the messages come packed with questions, because let's be honest: solo traveling is daunting. It's one thing to plan for a family vacation to Disney or Cancun, but it's another thing to plan a 10-day solo trip to a foreign country. I also LOVE to answer those questions, but wanted to provide all my girls (and guys!) reading this a quick reminder of the initial things to consider so that many more people can benefit and start planning.

Any vacation, no matter how short or local, accompanied or solo, can (and should) be treated as a project so the following general questions apply when you decide to take the next steps in your solo trip planning:

What is your budget?

Money makes the world we live in go round. Although there are travel hacking techniques you can use to limit your spending, the reality is solo traveling can be pricey sometimes. There are places where even hostels aren't so cheap, the food is expensive, and individual transportation is necessary. And if you're thinking that national travel will be cheaper than overseas travel... think again. Interstate travel (especially if you have to fly to get to your destination) is much more expensive than, say, international travel in Europe.

Where you go can have a hefty impact on your wallet, so consider your limitations before getting psyched for a place that is out of bounds financially.

How much time do you have?

Oh, the sad paradox of life: when you're young you have time but barely any money, and then when you finally get a job where you can afford whatever trip you fancy, you have no time.

Time, of course, is indirectly related to budget. If you have a tight budget, it might be difficult to take an extensive time off to go on a solo vacation. However, what I find more common is that people are willing to spend a little extra ca$h and treat themselves to nice things and places, but time is limited due to strict vacation policies, school deadlines, of worldly family responsibilities. In this case, time is an important consideration because it becomes the limiting factor in the equation towards a positive experience.  

I can assure you, however, that even with a tight budget and a restrictive timeline, you can (and should!) take the time for yourself if you want to. These parameters are factors, not determinants; regardless, you will have the time of your life.

What are your preferred hobbies or activities?

Some people would never in a million years consider going wilderness backpacking for the first time in a foreign country (oh heyyy that's me). Then there are others who just want to read, sketch, and meditate the woods or anywhere away from people. Maybe your idea of the perfect solo trip is a yoga retreat followed by a late night shopping spree. Literally anything's acceptable. That's what's awesome about solo traveling: it's your trip, your rules, and your story.

How complicated do you want it to be?

This is about your preferences regarding your approach to travel scheduling. Do you want to tackle an aggressive schedule, or do you prefer to take it easy? Judger and Perceiver personality types come to show when asking this question, since some people love rigidity and a well-defined plan, and others are more keen to laid-back schedules and going with the flow. There's no right or wrong answer to this question; it all depend on YOU. You can make it as structured or free-flowing as you want it to be. The more structured, however, the more complex your overall itinerary will be.

PS. Trust me when I say you can make it as complicated as you want it to be. For my first international solo trip, I went on a 3 and a half week stint to South America, crossing two national borders and doing two weeks of volunteer work. It was C R A Z Y, but that's what I wanted!

What do you want to get out of the trip?

 Probably the most important question of them all: what are you looking to get out of this new adventure?

In your solo travels, as with any project, you will want quality. That doesn't necessarily mean fancy foods and 5-star hotels, but about the intimate reasons of why you want to go on this trip in the first place. Maybe you're looking for some time away from anything even remotely familiar to be able to focus on recharging your emotional and social batteries. Maybe you're like me and would like to use a solo trip to test your physical and mental boundaries. Maybe you have no other reason to do it than, well, to give it a try. Whatever the real purpose of this trip is, make it the number #1 priority.

Quality trumps quantity of both time and money. You will still have the time of your life if you plan a long weekend solo getaway on a tight budget if you make your personal preferences your main reference point.

Again, I love that some of you are seriously considering taking the plunge and going out there by yourselves for the first time (or again!). It's a lot of work, but the experience pays off in increasing dividends. If you have any questions (and I'm sure you might!), you know where to reach me. I might be busy, but I LOVE to do this and would be glad to help you. 

FYI - I'm in the process of writing a short guide to planning your first solo trip to publish as a downloadable PDF in the near future. I'll be posting it here when it's ready and sending it out to my subscribers, so make sure you get yourself on the list! And if you're serious about this solo travel thing and need some help planning, I'm your girl.