so i’m 22 m now studying computer science and i’m so obsessed with travelling and exploring the world. i keep watching travelers vlogs all day and even street walks in countries like japan and US.
but I’m a little bit self conscious about my size , I’m only 5’5 ( my growth got stunted because i had cancer when i was young and was having chemotherapy) and also i have a baby face so I look very young for my age and i’m afraid about my safety and whether some people will think i’m a teenager or something. i hate that i think this way but i’m just afraid my solo trip would not be a good experience so what do you think guys?
8 comments
The last thing people will be thinking about is you. And this goes for any time you’re out and about. Just go have fun.
I went to Germany (from the States) by myself when I was 19. It was awesome.
Most people really don’t pay you any attention. Just make sure you look up local laws and customs, and you’ll be completely fine.
You’d be surprised how liberating it is to travel alone. I spent a year living, working and travelling around NZ by myself when I was in my late 20s. I’d consider myself to be an introvert with some social anxiety issues, so I did spend a bit of time querying whether or not I a) could do it or b) even wanted to do it.
Once I was there, though, I had a brilliant time. I met new people, had loads of great experiences and it helped bring me out of my shell, at least a little.
I went “big bang” as I’d never gone anywhere by myself before, but maybe if you’re that concerned, do a long weekend somewhere and build up to something longer term?
The hard part is that first step across the door. Do it, and good luck.
don’t overthink about it . just live the life you want .
you only got one life man !!!
do you want to waste it by negative thoughts like this ?
just go ahead and embark on your first solo trip and trust me you are going to like it
and after that you will gain more confidence to do more solo trips and you will never think like that again
just take a step !!
man don’t overthink about it .
this is the best time in your life just start and take it easy .
remember you gotta do what you gotta do , this is your life and no matter how young you think you look , if you take no action you will regret it when you are older
Do some practice runs. Is there a bigger city within a few hours of where you live that you aren’t really knowledgeable about? Go there by yourself for a weekend
I don’t know where you live but the US is already a pretty dangerous place so if you go somewhere like Japan you’ll be even safer.
https://www.indexmundi.com/facts/indicators/VC.IHR.PSRC.P5/rankings
Start at the bottom and work you way up. US is 55th most dangerous out of 167 countries.
I’ve been to 4 of the top 20 and had no issues. Just research what neighborhoods to avoid.
Also if anyone wants to harm you they’ll have a weapon so your size isn’t going to matter.
You just have to go for it. I still get a bit nervous when planning a trip to somewhere else, even though I’ve been through it before and know I can deal with anything that comes my way.
You can make things a bit easier for yourself: pick a country/area that is relatively safe, speaks English as a first or second language (my first solo trip was a business trip to China, which definitely posed some challenges), has a good transit system for getting around, etc.
Just be aware that things sometimes go wrong when travelling and you just have to be calm and make an alternate plan on the fly. The vast majority of people are happy to help you if you are having issues, but will leave you alone otherwise (be somewhat wary of a person that approaches you to help).