Do you find yourself wondering if you could travel to a foreign destination by yourself? I’m here to tell you that, in fact you can!. But before you start packing your bags, make sure you have an abundant supply of the three Ps: Patience, Problem Solving Skills and Politeness.
Patience:
The old saying “patience is a virtue” should be your go-to mantra when traveling anywhere, but especially when traveling internationally. It’s important to know, before you start your journey, things will go wrong, plans will fall apart and you will get lost.
There is good news though. You are the only one in control of how you react when these unplanned events happen and your ability to accept disruptions without getting angry will make for a much more pleasant adventure for you and those around you.
If you approach a stressful situation with patience, others will be more apt to assist you and get you on your way. Things can and will go away, and it’s up to you how you approach these situations and get help. Practice patience every day.
Problem Solving:
When you travel by yourself, you will have to make all of the decisions each and every day.
There will be easy decisions that have little or no downside, like If you should pack an umbrella. The problem you may have to solve is how to avoid getting wet if it rains.
The bigger the decision the bigger the consequences, so you may need to sharpen your problem solving skills if you want to reduce stress while abroad.
When traveling, you have to be capable of navigating the world with little or no support. Getting from A to B or figuring out where to sleep or how to communicate with the locals, are some of the problems you may need to solve.
When trying to solve a problem, I try to remember to pause, breathe and try to remain calm. I, for one, cannot make quick decisions. I find it best to take a literal step back, gather my thoughts and remember that every problem has a solution. The solution may not be ideal, but it is a solution. The goal is to figure it out or figure how to figure it out.
Learning to problem solve will strengthen your confidence as you learn to trust yourself.
Politeness:
Be polite and nice to everyone every single day. Regardless if you are traveling in your home country or traveling abroad, you should always be polite.
A few ways you can be polite:
Smiling: Does your resting face look happy? Practice smiling and the world will look at you differently. A big smile is contagious, will connect you with others, and may lower your stress levels. Try one on today.
Keep an open mind: When you travel, you will definitely see people, places and things that are unfamiliar. For me, seeing something new is a big part of the joy I get when visiting a new country. I try to look at the world through a lens of curiosity and not judgment. It may be new and different to me, but it is undoubtedly part of their culture. We may appear to be different on the surface and that’s what makes us unique, but underneath we are all humans and deserve to be treated with respect, kindness and dignity.
Learn a few local words: You don’t have to be fluent in another country’s native language to get around, but knowing how to say please and thank you will go a long way no matter where in the world you are. Saying please and thank you, shows kindness and respect. It will surely make a positive impression and a positive social bond.
Sprinkle a few more “Please” and “Thank yous” into your day and see how it makes a difference.
If you apply these simple rules throughout your travel you will find that they will cost you nothing but may buy you everything.
