UPDATED FEB 2020. Hands up if you’ve told someone about your solo travel dreams and been met with comments about how you shouldn’t do it because if you do, you’ll be killed/kidnapped/beheaded/mugged/raped and/or any other super scary thing. Does that sound familiar? I know I’ve heard these things a million times. I’ve heard it all, even ‘don’t go there you’ll get gang-raped by immigrants’. Sometimes those voices can get in your head and make something that you dream of doing seem scary. Sometimes these voices can stop you from doing the thing you want to do. Today I am here to empower you. We are going to be talking about how to get the courage to travel alone when these doomsday voices are all around you.
How To Get The Courage To Travel Alone When Everyone Says You’ll Die
1. Remember that people care for you
I think the most important thing to remember when people around you are giving you the doomsday view of solo travel, it’s usually not because they want you to miss out or they want to punish you or even that they have legitimate knowledge of the area.
It’s that they’re just plain worried for you.
They’re letting their fear talk, but at the heart of it, it comes from a good place.
They don’t want anything bad to happen to you. It’s another way to say ‘I love you’ really.
Before you get defensive or angry with them, just take a second to forget their scary view of the destination and appreciate that you have people who care for you.
2. Also, remember that haters are jealous
There’s a difference between a worried voice and a hater voice – I’m sure you’ve heard both.
It’s funny when I started being more open about solo adventuring, solo travel and when I started a blog, there were ‘friends’ who told me how it was too scary to adventure alone, how my blog would fail, or how selfish it was to do things alone as a married woman.
Those exact people now do the same things – either solo traveling or have started their own blogs.
First, they hate, then they copy – have you seen those memes? It’s so true!
If it’s a hater telling you how scary it is to travel solo, I guarantee they’re just a bit jealous so ignore their voices while you carve your own path.
3. Choose what advice to listen to
We all use others as a mirror to judge ourselves.
If people are giving you advice, most of the time they’re not giving you advice based on what’s best for you. They’re giving themselves advice based on what they would do in the same situation.
It’s why I always say that you are your own best teacher. Quieten down the outside voices and get in tune with your instincts because it’s usually much more useful than someone else’s advice.
If someone is telling you that you can’t travel solo because it’s too scary, remember that it’s too scary for them, but you’re not them.
4. Empower yourself with knowledge
The most important thing you can do to prepare yourself for solo travel is to research.
Arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can about your destination.
Don’t play when it comes to your safety.
The negative voices around you are right in a way – it is scary and it can be dangerous.
So research as much as you can to prepare yourself for the trip. It’s important to get advice from people who have actually been to the destination as well. Like I said in this video, I ignore advice from people who are either blindly optimistic or total doomsday, and find the balanced opinions like ‘you can travel solo here and have a great time but be aware of these things’.
Speaking of useful advice, here’s my guide of practical safety tips for the solo female traveler.
5. Think logically and realistically
Realistically speaking, driving your car in the town you live in is more dangerous than going on holiday.
Seriously.
When something is scary though, it’s easy for our fears to go nuts and we tend to get dramatic and irrational about it.
When those voices start to get louder and the thought of traveling alone starts to get overwhelming, try to reign it in and think logically.
Is being on holiday more dangerous than walking around alone where you live? Are more people traveling solo and ending up fine or getting kidnapped or attacked? Is it really more dangerous than other things you do every day?
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6. Follow your instincts
At the end of the day, you owe it to your future self to live a life on your terms.
How horrible would it be to look back and wish you had have been bolder, been braver and had the courage to do the things you wanted to do?
Think of that feeling for a moment, think of that regret.
Is it worse than the scary feeling you feel about traveling solo?
Probably, right? If you really feel like solo travel is something you want to do, don’t let the fears get in the way of a life on your terms.
Other posts to help you prepare for solo traveling
- Traveling Solo While Married – What To Expect And Is It OK?
- The Solo Travel Mindset – 5 Things To Get Over Before You Travel Solo
- Solo Travel For Introverts – How To Talk To People Even If You’re Shy & Awkward
- How To Overcome The Fear Of Getting Lost While Traveling Solo
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