About to go on the biggest adventure of my life and I'm very anxious (flight, trip)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
So this is something I have been planning and saving for non stop since about October last year. I am taking around 12 months to travel solo predominantly through South East Asia. I've travelled by myself before for 5 weeks and I was fine but obviouslt this is on a completely different scale.
I wasn't that nervous before, but now that I am a few days out from leaving it's all hit me like a tonne of bricks and I'm starting to get down in the dumps (which sounds ridiculous I know). It's more so missing my family back home who I am quite close with, and I'm also a bit of a nervous flyer as well.
I'm Australian so if it ever got to the point where it ended up being too much I could get a flight that day and be home in time for dinner that night, so that gives me some level of comfort. But has anybody else gone through something similar, I'm going to chalk it up to just the natural pre-travel jitters...
Yeah it's just jitters man you'll be fine. In fact if you've gone five weeks you've already proven to yourself you can handle the logistics side of things, once you're past a month it isn't really much different going for another few months.
You'll meet people and it's way easier these days with smart phones to keep in touch and meet up later.
I can totally empathize. I felt that same fear/isolation years ago when I landed in Bangkok with a broken phone. Of course that feeling passed after about 30 minutes and my entire Bangkok visit was only 4 days anyway lol.
Just relax, think about small steps (the next day, the next week) and you'll be fine. I'm incredibly jealous. I always wish I had done something on that scale. Have fun!
Have an "escape" plan in place, so if you ever get just completely fed up and decide you've had absolutely enough, you know how to end the trip if you ever reach that point.
And as for missing friends and family back home, can you make plans to skype or otherwise have visual communication with them on a regular basis?
You'll occasionally get the overpowering urge to chuck it all and go home.
When that happens, give yourself a 48-hour hold on any actions. If you still want to go home 48 hours later, then do what you will. BUT, you'll probably have talked yourself out of it by then.
Just a quick update, I'm almost 5 months deep into this adventure and having the time of my life! I could count on one hand the amount of times I've felt like going home, and usually would pass in a few hours.
Glad you're having fun but come on we deserve a better update than that. How has your path gone, and how does your route look going forward? What's your favorite memory so far? How's the budget looking holding out?
A year is a long time -- I usually hit the wall after about seven months. Budget travel is like a full time job , you are constantly working out daily activities and logistics.
Assume that after about six months you will want to take a break, so when you find yourself in a place you really enjoy, just tell the landlady you want to stay for a month or two. Then get back on the road fresh. We did it on Singkep Island in Indonesia, and again in Atyra, Paraguay.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
