Meg Goes Global

what i wish i heard before my first trip

I was an extremely shy and anxious child and all through growing up, struggled in speaking up and having the confidence to do things by myself. It seems quite a leap from this to suddenly going on backpacking trips solo but there is a reason so many people do it. I truly think the transformation in my self confidence, is down to pushing my limits and doing things I never thought I could do.

One of the best things we can all do is keep pushing our own limits and widening our horizons outside of our comfort zones. This is how we grow, however that may be. As I began to be intrigued by that backpacking lifestyle and possibility of seeing the world, I realised this was something I needed to do before I settled into any sort of career, but I had no one to go with. I used to see so many things on social media saying if you have no one to go with just go alone but this didn’t feel like it would be as simple as they all made out.

Nevertheless, I decided to fly to Australia by myself, which was a big move, but I did have family friends to stay with out there so I used this as a comfort blanket to push myself but still have something to fall back on. I realise this is a massive luxury that not everyone has but it helped me so much. From this I continued to travel the country by myself and with others that I met along the way. And into different countries both with friends I made for life in this year and also solo. all it took was a little push to realise what I could do and grow my confidence. Travel truly becomes addictive and the list of bucket list destination never shrinks as you visit more countries, it only grows. It’s less about ticking things off a list and more about realising the vastness of the world, and hearing other people’s stories only gives you more inspiration.

The thing they don’t tell you about confidence is that a lot of the time it is fake. Yes, this doesn’t apply to everyone but if you really want to push yourself out there you just have to fake it ’til you make it. And BE SCARED. It’s okay to be scared and it’s only natural, but don’t let the fear control what you do just let it push you further. Feel the fear and do it anyway. This is one of the most valuable lessons I learnt as an anxious girl.

I have learnt the most lessons from spending so much time in my own company, and also from the friends i have met by being truly myself. and being away from everyone that knows you allows you to create almost a new version of yourself with no one to hold you back. Be the most confident you can be, make your own decisions and just have complete freedom. I have also found that the friendships I have made from being solo have been the most genuine and deep connections as when you and others are on the other side of the world by yourself you have the most random and interesting conversations. You also have the flexibility to move how you want where you want, with people you like and away from those you don’t with no questions asked. When I first got to my hostel in Bangkok completely by myself I was almost overwhelmed by the prospect of total freedom. I sat there thinking what next, its all up to me. Within 5 minutes I was walking the streets with a girl I met at reception when we were both checking in and ended up in the same room. Believe everyone when they tell you it will all work out because it truly always does. We are all learning and making it up as we go along so just embrace the unknown and see what happens.

The thing I didn’t realise when seeing all these people do solo trips is that they were probably scared too. You don’t need to put all this pressure on yourself or any expectations just enjoy the process. Remember that you can always come home, or move on. It’s as simple as that. I promise you will love it.