10 THINGS... I WISH I’D KNOWN BEFORE TRAVELLING SOLO

Next up in the “10 Things…” series, Ten Things….I wish I’d known before travelling solo! Don’t even think of being on solo travels before reading this (haha), Mad To Live Founder Sophie’s key learning from travelling solo over the years!

10 THINGS... I WISH I’D KNOWN BEFORE BEFORE TRAVELLING SOLO

1.  You will be grateful for making copies of your passport, health & travel insurance when your you lose all your important documents to an out of control foam party/water-logged tent/hungover memory lapse

2.  You’ll be grateful for your travel insurance when it comes to moments that you really need it.  Brand new camera robbed?  Broken leg? Dengue Fever?  Tossing a few bux into insurance can save you thousands at the critical moment.

3.  That booking flexible tickets is pretty much a must. Spent a week partying non-stop in Rio and misread your 00:30am take-off and missed your flight to Australia (yup, that would have happened to me, guilty)?  Got caught up with a new love interest and can’t tear yourself away? Stuck on a marooned island and the only boat isn’t running? Flexible tickets take away a lot of the stresses around extended travels.

4.  Pack lighter than you pre-empted.  That stuffed heavy bag will become a dead weight that drives you nuts.  Pack smart and light and your shoulders will thank you for it.

5.  You will at times feel so lonely, but that loneliness will teach you lessons in loving your own company that will stay with you for the rest of your days.

6.  Be pro-active with your curiosity.  Things won’t necessarily always come to you: book those wacky tours, seek out places you might bump into like-minded people through activities you enjoy doing.

“Don’t let fear spoil your curious mind”.

7.  Always have a slush fund: You might find yourself needing a sudden wad of cash for a last-minute plane ticket/adventure.

8.  Be careful to save your pictures along the way: nothing like your memory card/phone/camera getting stolen/smashed/waterlogged and 4 months of pictures going down the drain (hit back up on your phone)

9.  To not be afraid of getting off the beaten track, and going with spontaneity.  Those moments lead to the greatest adventures.

10. Take yourself outside your comfort zone. Way past it. That will be one of your greatest life lessons, plus the most fun you’ll ever have in your life.