How to Handle Fear and Doubt Before Your First Solo Trip

People often ask me: "Weren't you scared before your first solo trip?"
Of course I was. I imagined everything that could go wrong.
But fear doesn't mean don't go, it means this matters to you.

Here's what helped me:

💡 1. Accept fear, don't fight it.
Fear doesn't disappear, but you can travel with it. Talk to yourself like you would to a friend.

💡 2. Prepare well.
Research your destination, plan safe transport, write down emergency numbers. Knowledge is power.

💡 3. Have a Plan B (and C).
Knowing you have options makes everything less scary.

💡 4. Focus on "what if it goes right?"
We're wired to imagine the worst. Flip it: What if it's amazing?

💡 5. Connect with others who've done it.
Share your worries. Most travelers have felt the same, and went anyway.

"Courage isn't the absence of fear, it's walking through it."

When you finally stand in that new place, alone but free, you'll realize: I was capable all along.