First Time Travel Can Be Scary

Setting off on your own, or to somewhere unknown for the first time can be a little scary, make sure you’re prepared and it will be an amazing experience.

You’re going to travel the world, explore new cultures and see a hundred weird and wonderful things. It promises to be one of the most incredible experiences of your entire life – so why is something gnawing away at you?

Everything’s going to change

Is it excitement or is it fear? There’s a fine line between the two. Some people thrive on the unknown and the thought of leaving everything behind won’t bother them at all. While others find leaving their comfort zone a little more challenging. Don’t let this put you off your big adventure though, after all, there’s a first time for everything.

Old friends and new

Leaving your friends and family is one of the worst parts of travelling abroad. It’s only too easy to feel alone. But then, you’ll never really be alone. You’ll find travellers in every corner of the globe. And they’ve left their friends and family behind, just like you. So you’ve already got something in common. And making new friends is one of the best bits of travelling abroad, so it all evens out in the end.

The people you leave behind aren’t going anywhere either. They’re really only a phone call away. So make sure you’ve got a cheap travel SIM card to go in your mobile. There are some great ones on the market at the moment – try STA’s Global Travel or Home Roaming Services. But be sure to take the time difference into consideration, 3am phone calls are generally frowned upon.

Don’t forget the Internet either. Blogs have always been popular, but now travellers are thanking their lucky stars that Facebook’s hit the scene. You can keep in touch with everyone, all in one place. So whether you want to chat to your friend live or leave them a message, post your photos or update your status – just sign into Facebook. It makes staying in touch that little bit easier, so even when you’re half way across the world, you can still catch up on a little trivial gossip. And you’ll be surprised how easily that can cure a bout if homesickness.

Home sweet home

As Dorothy once told us, “There’s no place like home”. And that’s never so obvious as when you travel. You’re going to be completely immersed in new cultures and for a first time traveller, that can be as scary as it is exciting. There’s a foolproof way to stop yourself from worrying about it though – be prepared.

If you take a little bit of home with you, it’ll never be far away. So a home sweet home kit is just as important as your first aid kit. Fill it with little items that remind you of home. It might be chocolate bars, photos or that washing detergent your mum uses – whatever says home to you.

The grand plan

When it comes to settling your nerves, there’s nothing more effective than planning. Knowing where you’re going and what to expect can be really comforting. So start putting together a travel plan - and put it on paper. That way if you start worrying, you can pull it out and remind yourself how well prepared you are.

Research is really important too. There’s nothing scarier than the unknown. So if you want to calm your nerves, take a closer look at the countries you’re going to be visiting. You’ll find loads of information on the Internet. So take a look at the other articles on here, especially the Cultural Considerations series. Other great sites for travel research include Lonely Planet, Rough Guides and Frommers.

Or if you want first hand experiences from other travellers, hit the forums. You can get some great insider knowledge this way, not to mention some great tips. And when it’s your first time, it’s nice to hear from people who’ve actually done it. It makes it that little bit more possible. The i-to-i Travel Forums are a great place to start, but why not join up to a few?

Travelling might seem scary now, but after a month out in the world, it’ll seem like the most natural thing in the world. And remember, you can only be a first time traveller once. Nothing will ever be as intense, as eye opening or as new as it is on your first trip. So be prepared and enjoy every moment.

Links

• http://www.statraveluk.ekit.com/ekit/MobileInfo/Service/ektravel
• http://www.statraveluk.ekit.com/ekit/MobileInfo/Service/ekuk
• http://www.facebook.com
• http://www.lonelyplanet.com
• http://www.roughguides.com
• http://www.frommers.com

Page Comments

Add Your Comment!

Log in to leave a comment or Create an account