We never forget our first. Our first time touching someone’s hand, our first time riding a bike, our first time falling for another. Your first trip abroad is a big step in any of our lives, and we’re here to relate and give you some pieces of advice before you embark.
1) Learn The Basics
Go for the basics of you, the basics of your travel buddy (if not going solo), and the basics of the country you are traveling to. The basics of you are better to know before you go. We find out a lot about ourselves on the road but being comfortable with your basics and understanding them will help you when travel hits you. If traveling with a friend, do a day-trip with them in your hometown to get a feel for how they react and act in certain situations.
After graduating college, me and two of my close friends traveled to Thailand. I thought I knew them, but I got to see them for who they were when we were playing with baby tigers in Phuket or lost in the alleys of downtown Bangkok. Lastly and most importantly, it’s good to get to know the country and their culture. Understanding the uncomplicated phrases in their language and any cultural customs they have will give you a step ahead and allow you come soul to soul with the locals.
Hanging with baby tigers in Phuket, Thailand2) Create a “Loose” Itinerary
What do I mean by a “loose” itinerary you ask. You have no reason to over-plan down to the minute what you will be doing each day. Some of the best experiences traveling happen when I have no plan at all and decide to do what feels right at the moment. Seeing Sintra, experiencing that feeling of pure discovery, away from the tourism and constant noise, happened because I left my possibilities open during my time in Lisbon (Lisboa) and that “loose” itinerary led me to a small town in the rolling hills that forever changed me. visitacity.com is a great tool to plan a “loose” itinerary for whatever part of the world you plan to explore.
Pena Palace, Sintra, Portugal3) Spend Time With Family
Being a first-timer to travel abroad, you will underestimate how much you will think of your family while out and about in the world. We all have different family dynamics, but your family is the only one you have so do your best to see them often before you cruise off to extend your roots. I’ve always been close with my mother, so when I left the country to travel abroad in Europe, the phone calls didn’t do it justice. Love up your family, because those moments will last.
4) Get Rid of Any Fear of Failure
What is it about us humans that causes so much fear to make mistakes? Mistakes are fantastic learning experiences. A fulfilled life is full of failure and errors but learning from those moments turns them into a positive experience for your inner growth. Drop any beliefs that you will be the perfect traveler and that no one has done it like you before. As always, sh*t happens, and it’s heavier when you’re in an unknown environment and have to rely on feeling rather than language. So leave all your fears of failure in the high-school classroom because traveling is never perfect and its how you react to the bumps along the way that makes your trip truly unique and one of a kind. Your failures will be some of your best stories to tell.
5) Practice Trusting Your Instincts
If I could write this in 3D so it would come out of the screen and grab your attention, I would. Our phones are great tools to find answers, but you will lose reception and that reliable friend, Wi-fi, becomes super shady when you’re in an unknown country. Practice going on a day adventure in which you rely on your instincts, sense of direction, and other people, to help you along the way. It will set you up to better handle the travel grind that lies ahead.
When in Amsterdam, I planned to see my grandmother who was on a river cruise through Northern Europe and happened to be in Amsterdam when I arrived. I pictured the day going so smoothly until my phone stopped working and I was left to my instincts to try and find her in a city mysterious to me. I rented a bike and rode throughout Amsterdam, as the rain poured, and somehow found the cruise ship my grandmother was on in the harbor. It was from instinct, from our past as human beings instilled in our existence. I like doing hikes and day ventures while home in which I rely solely on instincts and this helps me while abroad and I believe it will help you too.
6) Pack Light, Lighter Than You Think
Exploring the new country you plan to travel to with a travel pack is like carrying a small version of yourself on your back. Trust me when I say packing light could be a huge difference in your energy levels and experience while traveling. I would recommend laying all of your items out on your bed and then making your potential things smaller and smaller until you have only the “I have to bring this” items still in view. Pack light and live heavy. For more deets on the best packs for traveling, check out tripsavvy – best 12 packs of 2018.
7) Expect Less and Keep an Open Mind
Expectations can be a huge trigger to pull you away from staying in the moment before traveling and while traveling abroad. Travel photos online aren’t don’t tell the full story of remote locations and everything they have to offer. It’s the places I never saw pictures of that seem to blow my mind and take my breath away because no expectations are there to compare the here and now. Traveling will challenge you so keep an open mind and make it easy on yourself and your traveling group. With less expectation, nothing gets in the way of letting life happen as you embark on your first travel abroad experience.
Top 7 things to do before your first trip abroad
Sintra7 holds these top 7 things close and wants you to feel comfortable anytime, anywhere. Our clothing is speechlessly comfortable and backed by adventure so enjoy our gear today and keep it Sintra always.
