First trip: The world discovery trip
Today, we are going to talk about the first trips abroad. They are always the most memorable because we remember those moments when we discovered a new culture, a new world!
My first real trip abroad was to the United States, more than 10 years ago! At that time, I was not the traveler I am today and I still remember my difficulties with the English language and also the mistakes I made.
First trip: Psychology of the traveler
A little recap of the psychological state of the beginner traveler:
- We don’t know where we are going or at least, it takes time to get used to finding the right path or the right place.
- We hesitate to talk to strangers for fear of not understanding them.
- We try to find people in a similar situation and watch what they do and do the same thinking that others know (especially when leaving the airport).
- We look at the map for several minutes searching for a landmark.
We have all experienced this and even I, who am used to traveling, find myself in one of these psychological states when I went to an exotic country for the first time.
First trip: Going to a tropical or exotic country
My first stay in a so-called exotic country was my stay in Thailand, 2 years ago. This trip almost changed my vision of travel and life. I found the sensations of a first trip abroad again.
- I felt disoriented, all the streets looked alike and I felt lost among everyone. Strange when you quickly find your bearings in Western countries!
- I refused to talk to people (especially the locals, the Thais) because I was wary.
And yet at that time I already had more than a year of travel experience.
That is actually why I created this article because I occasionally receive remarks and questions from friends or acquaintances about the entire journey I have made.
First trip: Questions from beginner travelers:
- “Is it difficult?”
Of course, but this difficulty has a positive effect for me because I like challenges, discovering the unknown, testing myself, and few people have this mindset because they like comfort and security.
- “You have been to many countries, I couldn’t have done the same”
I took a risk, why not do it yourself? Many of you dream of traveling or say you are passionate about travel. You have to enjoy your life to the fullest because you only have one life and if for that, you have to do this or that, then do it, whether in everyday life or while traveling.
- “How did you manage your budget?”
This is a difficult question to answer. If many of you think you need a lot of money to travel, I think that is false. For me, the travel budget comes down to two things: money and comfort. The less comfort you allow yourself, the more you travel and vice versa. I only spent 6000 euros to travel for 18 months because I lowered my comfort level and worked minimally.
This fear is completely legitimate but with experience, confidence grows and you will feel comfortable from the next trip or the second month of your travels.
First trip: Going to an English-speaking country
I started my world tour with the USA, including Chicago and San Francisco as major cities. The first time I traveled alone to the USA was 7 years ago.
It was an initiatory journey, where I had the opportunity to test myself. It is thanks to this trip that I learned to manage my budget, put my fears of traveling abroad into perspective. Knowing that in English-speaking countries, you are sure they understand you at least a little if you speak English, it’s reassuring!
My little traveler’s recommendation: It is preferable to have experience in an English-speaking country before venturing into the unknown or exotic countries because the cultural gap can be so large that you will make beginner mistakes, whereas in English-speaking countries, they are not there to scam tourists.
In this book, there are many illustrations that help you show people what you want; it will very easily help you find what you want if you don’t have the words.
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