Long term solo travel concerns (2nd extract)

(Last Updated On: November 28, 2021)

Have you got your copy of: You, Yourself & the World yet?

My debut long term solo travel help and advice book is helping people worldwide prepare for future travels (when It’s safe to again) and become savvy solo travelers before even packing their bags.

You, Yourself & the World takes you in a journey deep into long term solo travel life. It provides you with deep insights, realistic tips, practical advice, and answers to 100+ questions, concerns and fears that could change your life.

If you haven’t got your copy yet, It’s ok. Luckily, you have landed on a sneak peak post where I provide excusive access to two questions and answers from the 2nd section of the book: Solo travel concerns before you travel

2 questions for you from the book

Table of Contents

We all have concerns before we do anything for the first time, whatever it may be especially if there is so much unknown or lack of understanding about it. It’s the same with long term solo travel.

In this solo travel concerns sections of You, yourself & the World we delve into what concerns you may have, how you can get to the root of those concerns and ultimately get past them.

Below are two solo travel concern questions from the book, which are quite common to have when thinking about long term solo travel.

long term solo travel concerns

Q: I'd love to do it but how to I get over my solo travel concerns & fears?

SHORT: You’re not the only one, many long term solo travelers start off feeling scared and even petrified but grow into it over time. Do your research properly, cover your bases and try and get to the root of your fear. You may be petrified simply because you don’t have a good understanding of it yet. We fear the unknown and you have no idea what’s on the other side.

LONG: You are thinking about stepping into the unknown for the first time, what you’re feeling is perfectly natural. The thought of it may be enticing or exciting but the reality can feel daunting. Many long term solo travelers have felt the same way. But with the correct research, getting to the root of the fear, you can ease your own solo travel concerns.

You may even find it helps to write down your concerns and fears on paper rather than letting them swim around in your mind. Have a good think of what is holding you back, what scares you, is it through a lack of understanding and knowledge? You have to be honest with yourself as to the reasons. With the issues written down, physically in front of you, you can look to overcome them.

Common long term solo travel concerns & fears

Concerns about safety (The world can seem like a scary place, especially if you listen to what mainstream media may say.)
Lack of money (You don’t think you can afford it because traveling the world is perceived to be a luxury and you need lots of it. Ask yourself what is a lot?)
You think you lack the confidence to travel the world (Not everybody who travels oozes confidence and is self-assured)
The idea of being in a foreign country scares you (The idea of not speaking the language, being able to communicate or culture shock scares you)
The fear of being alone all the time and that you will not meet people (A common misconception)
Friends and family not believing in you, don’t think you can do it which not only scares you but you believe them and are letting them hold you back
Fear of things going wrong or getting lost (Getting lost turns a trip into a journey)
Fear of not enjoying yourself alone, not experiencing it to the fullest
Fear of sightseeing alone and not having somebody to share incredible sights and moments with
Fear of being vulnerable and exposed in new situations (Leaving a comfort zone is difficult but the only way you can grow)

It is natural to have fear, it’s good to have fear at times as it helps keep you alert and aware of your surroundings. But you cannot let it control you. Whatever long term solo travel concern you have, somebody else will have gone through it, or is going through it. There is always information to help you.

Fear tends to grow from a lack of understanding. With the right research and the right answers you will gain a better understand of what is holding you back. You will be able to remove that mental block and you can make your wish of long term solo travel a reality.

You can also try and get in touch with other solo travelers who have in the past or are currently going through the same as you. Sharing those concerns can help you feel more comfortable. Use social media and travel forums to connect with people.

Online communities & Groups to help:

Facebook (so many solo travel groups you can search for)
Twitter (use the solo travel #)
Reddit (There are a lot of solo travel sub-Reddit’s you can join)
Quora (Works in a similar way to Reddit)
Travelers point (A great website to find likeminded travelers and forums to ask any question you have, answered by other travelers)

If you know anybody that’s long term solo traveled before or is currently reach out to them. No matter how silly you think your concern is, they will remember what it was like for them and more than likely willing to help. Find out what concerns they had and how they overcame them.

Fears and concerns can naturally disappear while planning a trip too. It may help you to start your research, physically start planning your trip. Build your journey, gage a rough idea of your route, watch vlogs, and read blogs and other travel articles. Once you start physically seeing it, a lot of your concerns quite possibly will get answered.

The more you find out and start to gage an understanding, the more your inner confidence will grow and that fear you had turns into excitement. Of course you don’t have to book anything but just getting a feel for the trip can help a lot.

Q: WHAT HAPPENS IF I GET LOST LONG TERM SOLO TRAVELING?

SHORT: It is more than likely to happen, there are multiple ways to get lost while long term solo traveling, physically and mentally – Getting lost is half the fun, don’t be fearful, embrace it and see where it leads you.

LONG: When you embark on long term solo travel you are not just going on a trip; you are going on multiple journeys even if you’re only going to one destination.

You will embark on a physical journey
A mental one through your mind
An internal journey deep within yourself
Potentially a spiritual one, even if you’re not planning on it

Physically, yes there is a more than a chance of you getting lost. Don’t be scared of it, embrace it. See where it takes you, see what unknown adventures and discovery lay in wait. At some point or another your plans are going to change, they can just go up in smoke, your route changes, and you can end up in a place you have no idea about.

When you start getting lost, your trip turns into the real journey. Let go of yourself, start drifting in the wind and see where it leads. Going off course, getting lost can happen at any point. It can be as simple as taking the wrong turn and discovering something magical. It could be from the advice of a local, giving you some insights, stopping somewhere you didn’t plan to. You may even be as spontaneous as some and end up in a country or continent you had not even thought of before.

You never know what or who is around the corner, you never know what direction the interactions you have with people will lead you. Not knowing leads to the best discoveries.

The journey within

Inevitably, the longer the journey goes on, you will mentally start looking inwards. Before long you’ll also embark on an internal journey side by side with the physical one. There is a huge chance of getting lost within yourself, especially if you have a tangled mind like a lot of long term solo travelers. (Some of us have extremely complicated and eccentric minds).

As you start thinking differently, seeing things from a different perspective, and forming different views you will question a lot of things. You will start searching for answers within yourself. This can lead to internal conflicts and wars as you confront, wrestle and fight issues and inner demons.

However, during this internal journey you will start learning more about yourself than you can even imagine. You will grow, evolve, and learn more of your character. You may even come out the other end of this a completely different person.

Even if you’re not planning on it, there may come a point where you start going on a spiritual journey and get lost in your own beliefs and former views. You question things you thought you believed in but now have different opinions and views from the experiences you’ve gone through. Specific situations and circumstances can happen, which you look back on and lead you to question former views and beliefs. Going on a spiritual journey can lead to internal conflicts too.

Actually getting lost!

Also by getting lost, if you’re worried about going missing while doing a long hike, trekking through a jungle, riding through a desert, up a mountain, out at sea or off the grid there are precautions you should take beforehand:

Let people know where you’re planning to go and the route you’re taking
Carry and use GPS trackers
Give people a map of your intended route
Give rough timescale on how long you will go for (Hours, days, weeks)
Let your friends and family know where you’re planning on disappearing to
If there’s nobody to tell, notify tourist boards or local authorities where you are going
Use your common sense, be aware of your surroundings and do not think you are smarter than signposts or warnings. Stick to the rules.

Sounds like common sense but that is the point, so many travel without using it!

just a sneak peak of the solo travel CONCERNS & FEARS

There is a lot more where that came from the book.

If there are any specific questions you would like answering, drop me a comment below and I will be glad to answer them for you.

Before you leave though, find out what questions are answered throughout the book in my question listing page which can reach from below.

SECTIONS COVERED IN THE BOOK

THINKING ABOUT LONG TERM SOLO TRAVEL
SOLO TRAVEL CONCERNS
LONG TERM SOLO TRAVEL (PERSONAL) SAFETY CONCERNS
LONELINESS/MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH
MENTALITY SHIFTS/ SPIRITUALITY
MEETING PEOPLE/MAKING FRIENDS
BUDGETING & FINANCES FOR LONG TERM SOLO TRAVEL
PLANNING/RESEARCHING
DESTINATIONS/COMMUNICATION/LANGUAGE/CULTURE
TRANSPORT
ACCOMMODATION
HOSTELS
ACTIVITIES/TOURS/EXCURSIONS
MISCELLANEOUS
MY PERSONAL LONG TERM SOLO TRAVEL ADVICE/TIPS

FIND OUT IF YOUR SOLO TRAVEL CONCERNS, FEARS AND QUESTIONS COVERED IN THE BOOK ON THE FULL QUESTIONS AND SECTION LISTING PAGE

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