Congratulations! You did it… Quit your job, bought the ticket and boarded the plane. Apart from dealing with the inevitable jet lag, you’re thinking, what the hell do I do next? Here is your go to guide about what to do once you’ve landed and are fully doing the stuff you’ve been dreaming about.
- Book at least one night of accommodation for when you arrive on new turf.
My reasoning for this is that I just do NOT, what to deal with not having a place to lay my head after god knows, how long of a journey. I’ve read plenty of other advice stating that you can just figure it out. Which I’m sure is true, in at least some parts of the world. But when you’re first starting out, give yourself the peace of mind at least to know you can arrive wherever you are . Plus, I’m not always the type of person okay with winging it. Leave your self some space for spontaneity. But plan enough so that you don’t have to figure out every single detail on a whim- it gets exhausting. - Make a friend – or several
Whether your solo or in a group, you’re going to need to branch out of your comfort zone and mingle a little. You’ll thank yourself later. After all, why travel in the first place if your not open to new people and environments? Most of the best places and things I’ve seen while traveling have a lot to do with the people I met beforehand. I’ll say it again, it is important to try to connect with people when you’re on the road. Not everyone will matter enough to become your next best friend on social media. However, they might have great insight, tips, and horror stories for you to listen to. You better believe I met a ton of people when word got out I had a link to the new Game of Thrones episodes. Or, maybe your new friends are amazing temporary drinking buddies who’ll makes you completely forget that you were lonely that day. - Take a deep breath, and get ready for an adventure- because at this point it’s inevitable.
The first days are the most magical. You will be completely anxious, excited but don’t burn out too fast. The places and things you want to see in the chosen area will be there on your day 2, 3, 4… With each new place you visit, find a happy balance between finding your way around your new environment and checking things off your travel bucket list. What I mean by this is don’t over schedule your trip so much that you can’t grab a beer with your new hostel friends because the tour you scheduled three months prior to your trip is leaving at 6 AM the next morning. Personally, I like to arrive to a destination with a couple things I’d like to do but other than that I like to figure it out as I go. That’s just me. - Take a free walking tour !!
I recommend taking a free walking tour within the first couple days of arriving to a new location.( *Pro Tip: they say free… don’t forget to tip your tour guide!) I absolutely love walking tours not only are they informative, they’re a great way to get a grasp for the culture and history of the area you’ve chosen to travel. Plus, you could make a friend. Most of the tour guides are young people themselves and are an excellent source of information. Hostels sometimes have their own walking tour or could provide you with info about where to meet up with companies who organize tours. - Where to next?
Okay you’ve got a feel for your first location… but you didn’t make this life changing decision to travel the world so that you can stay in the first location you landed, did you? Once you’ve arrived, taken the free walking tours, made a few friends, partied, laughed, thought at least 4 times “is this real life?” you’ll eventually be ready to head on to your next location. Don’t forget to take this post advice with you there too. Traveling should be whatever you want it to be.. so if this approach to your first few days on a new planet was far too loose goosey for you.. then by all means Plan ! Plan! Plan! But getting out of your comfort zone is the first step, once you’ve done that the rest is easy-ish.