Finally, you’re heading out to uncharted waters. You’re nervous but full of excitement. anticipation. You can’t wait on your first ever flight to God-knows-where. Every traveller knows this feeling all too well. Travelling for the first time tends to be the same for everyone: mixed feelings, excitement and the cluelessness are often the order of the day.
It’s less daunting if you’ve prepared for it. You don’t want to commit mistakes and have something go wrong. So we’ve put together a few tips that you’ll find invaluable on your exploits as a new traveller.
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Get in the mood for adventure
There’s going to be lots of new experiences: you’ll meet new people, new cuisine, new traditions, new activities. Be ready to try them out. You might not want to go rock climbing for your fear of heights; but trust me, you can hike. You’ll love the scenic views from atop the mountains.
People are jumping into water? Join them; have some fun. There’s frenzy at a party and everyone is letting go?
Make it count. If there’s a new dance and you can barely read the moves, give it a try. You’ll feel proud of yourself after you get a few moves right.
The rule is simple: take risks and challenge yourself. Try new things and explore without holding back – that’s the reason people travel. You often find yourself reliving these moments and regretting all that you didn’t let yourself do.
Don’t be shy or scared of new things
Going places means meeting new things. The more open you are to trying out new things the richer your experiences will be.
By travelling you acquire new knowledge, gain fresh insights and become more wolrdly.
There’s no guarantee you’ll love it all, but do not shut yourself off to things simply because you have no idea how they’d feel or because you reckon you won’t like them. You may be surprised if they turn out to be quite the opposite of what you expected.
Fear is a deterrent, just don’t let it control you during your trip. Take solace in the fact that you aren’t discovering a new planet; you’re just doing stuff that other people have done before.
Pack less
You’ll need your gizmos, no doubt about that. But even though it may feel so much like it, you’re not going camping, so skip the sleeping bag but not your traveling gadgets. Pack as less stuff as possible, carrying only the things you cannot do without.
On a normal trip, low cost tops, T-shirts and jeans will do. Should you need new ones, you’ll find lots of them where you’re going. You can thank me later after paying less airfare because of the small size of your backpack.
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Take extra money with you
Now this is a scary part: sometimes things go wrong when you travel. The stories you hear about pickpockets and identity thefts are all true. You can lose cash; you can lose important documents.
And even if you don’t know where all the services are, money has a way to keep wheels turning. It will buy you information, it buys service; it buys loyalty. It’s the way you get things done. So make sure you have enough of it to cover for the unexpected situations.
Don’t stick to the guidebook
Unless you want to miss out on the latest restaurants, attractions and all that which speak of contemporariness, you wouldn’t want to live by the (guide)book. These guides can be great as blueprints of the destinations where you are going. But that’s as far as they can be useful.
As the name suggests, a guidebook is supposed to point you in the right direction, but not to program your life. Traveling is about the people and cultures you connect with, and the experiences you share. And living by the guidebook will limit the things you will experience. Connect, talk and interact with the local folk. Most are really friendly with visitors and will be more than willing to let you in and show you around. Through them you can learn about what’s hot and what’s not at the moment.
Go with the flow of things
Embrace life as it unfolds and don’t rush things, you’ll be stressed out. Notice that you are not just here for sightseeing but to experience. So take a step back and experience it deep.
Obtain people’s contact information
When you travel you meet new people. Some become very important in your life. Some will eventually make major impacts in your life. Be sure to get their contacts to stay in touch with them.
This is the part where we’ll insist on having a phone suited for travelling and a functional SIM card. Be sure to have an international SIM card with you. You can get both from OneSimCard at very affordable prices. These will help you make the most of your first adventure.
OneSimCard is good for data, calling and text messaging along with running Skype (or other VoIP services) over the data.
It’s all about you!
Travelling for the first time has its challenges, but with the right mindset and preparedness, it can be lot of fun and a source of precious memories.