So, as an 18 year old female, when I told my parents that I had decided to take the month of November off to go and travel Europe, it isn’t hard to imagine that they were… sceptical. It’s a big world out there, after all, and there are no end to the online statistics describing the likes of rape, drugs, human trafficking, murderers, muggers, et cetera, per city in Europe.
And of course, my mother discovered all of these.
As did my grandmother.
And they reminded me constantly.
So I’ve come up with a list of 5 tips for the youth of the world to use to show your parents that letting you travel by yourself really isn’t that terrifying.
- Come up With a ‘Plan’
When I say ‘plan’, I don’t mean organise your trip out by the minute, or even the day. Here’s why.
It makes your life way too stressful.
My first itinerary for my trip was planned so that I would have a few days in each city/country I was visiting. I had everything planned down to the train times, arrival times, and how long it would take to walk from the train station to my next hostel.
It was absolute madness.
If I had stuck with that plan, I would have been stressed, exhausted, and always trying to meet strict deadlines, which takes away from trying to actually experience where you are. If you plan out your trip so that you’re constantly moving around, not only will it take away from the time you have to explore where you are, but it’ll also take away any kind of flexibility to sit back and relax if you like a place.
To avoid having a stress-filled, anxiety-ridden, exhaust-fuelled trip, I would suggest this : pick a first location.
(For example, I picked Munich.)
So, depending on your travelling time-frame, I’d say stay in the first location for a few days (3 or 4, perhaps) just to make sure you have some time to get over jet lag, and get familiar with where you are staying.
Then, just enjoy yourself. Explore the city.
I stayed in Munich for the first week of my travels, and only made a solid decision of where I wanted to move on to on my last couple of days. It’s nice to mull it over, but don’t feel like you need to have everything planned out ahead of time. I know it’s corny, but go with the flow. Think a few days in advance–just to make sure you’re not rushing on the day of–but don’t plan everything to a ‘T’, either.
Find some middle ground. Then you can enjoy while also keeping your relatives and friends updated with your travels.
Also, this helps before you leave because it shows to the people worried about you that you’re not walking completely blind into a foreign country. Nothing like a lack of faith in your abilities to send them spiralling into an endless statistics nightmare.
There are other ways I tried to keep my travels as stress free as possible, but I’ll go into that another time. - Find a way to Keep in Contact.
It’s a lot easier now with the advances in technology to keep in touch with the folks back at home, so find a way. A lot of people I know just buy a new sim card whenever they travel (especially in Europe. Because it’s a lot less expensive.)
You can also purchase international or travelling sim cards online, which you can usually customise to your needs.
While I was travelling, my parents helped me figure out a way to extend my data plan to Europe, so I used that to keep in touch.
Shooting them a message every day, especially when you first start your travels, will relieve a lot of stress back home. When I first started my travels, I texted my parents at least twice a day. Once in the morning, once at night, and then some intermittent commentary if I was doing something cool.
But as your travels go on, you can ease up a bit.
Just remember that it’s natural for parents/grandparents/guardians/friends to worry, and even if you’re not worried, shoot them a text to make sure they aren’t worried either. - Make Sure you Have a Credit Card. Debit Doesn’t Work.
When you travel, your card from home probably won’t work in a foreign country. At least as a Canadian, get a Credit Card before you go. Test it out. Call your bank and tell them that you will be travelling for ‘x’ amount of time. Cash is very useful, but it’s also better to generally not carry your life savings in your wallet.
A card can be cancelled, cash can be withdrawn. But if you lose cash, not much can really be done.
In the world of parents, I have noticed that not much will stress them out more than when you tell them that your card has stopped working. If something’s up, call your bank. They will help. And never forget to tell your parents that you’ve resolved the issue. Relieve the stress. - Take Some Cash out Beforehand
Having some local currency while you travel is a really good way to ensure that if anything goes wrong, you have a backup. Familiarise yourself with the currency before you go. - And Finally, Remind Your Parents That You’re a Capable Human Being
In the end, once you’re 18, your parents can’t legally tell you what to do. You’re an adult now. It’s your own problem. But if they don’t want you to go, or they don’t feel like you’re ready to go, they can make it harder for you to go.
Just remember that it’s your decision. If you feel ready, go. If you want that adventure, go do it. Travelling is one of the most exhilarating and wonderful experiences you can get.
Just sit down and have the conversation. Talk over your ‘plan’, know where you’re going, figure out your mode of contact, figure out the currency, and answer the call to adventure.
Anna's Travelling Antics 