Help! my trip is approaching.

Hello Emma

I think everybody feels this anxiety before their big trip. I even feel like that after 20 years of travelling on and off, when I am going to someplace a bit more adventurous than usual.

When you get there you will likely rediscover your excitement and be proud of yourself for taking that big step that so many dont even get around to planning.

You will likely be homesick and miss family and friends sometimes but you will meet so many new friends and internet is such a quick, easy and affordable way to stay in touch with those at home.

Dont put too much pressure on yourself about meeting people. It is very easy. No need to go through any big ritual. Just give a friendly smile to most peolple and those wanting company will likely approach you and start chatting.

I dont think you will be as fearful as you think when arriving in new towns(not without a reason anyway. I am a bit fearful about arriving in Delhi, India this month after the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai), after the initial fear of arriving in the country itself. Going to a new town will become a matter of just hopping on a bus and getting there. Try to take busses that arrive in the morning or early afternoon so you wont be looking for accomodation in the dark. It does not matter so much if you look vulnerable. It will make the local women want to look after you. I have even had situations where a group of women walked with me to my hotel or negotiated taxi prices for me to make sure I was safe and not overcharged. Ignore unwanted attention from men. No response in S. America to sexual harassment is usually the best way. It is annoying but try to ignore it. The good news is it is generally verbal only.

Fear is normal. It just means you are stepping out of your comfort zone. I was so fearful flying to Iran last year that I would probably have jumped out of the plane before it got to the Iranian bored, if I could. :D Just dive into your new life, despite the fear.

Mel Reply to this

Thank you so much to both of you! It is very reassuring to hear your feedback. My feelings continue to go up and down and I think I'll just roll with it. I've been reading up more on Argentina and getting excited - I'll keep checking this blog for any Argentina-related topics! Reply to this

Think of it this way... I don't think I've ever met anyone that has said, "man it was way harder and scarier than I thought" Everyone I know says traveling and backpacking is an amazing experience. Not to say that it will be stress free, but don't let yourself psych yourself out of the whole thing. With phones and internet, home's only a second away. And Say the worst happens and you don't like it, at least you'll know that you went and tried it. Many years from now, you won't be wondering "what if" .... but I have a very very strong feeling that won't happen. After you've gone, can you post a message up here so we know how it went? Reply to this

I am two weeks away from my big adventure and am just starting to get nervous now, which I knew I would. I'm starting to get exactly the same thoughs - why am I doing this? What am I leaving behind? Am I doing the right thing? It's reassuring to know that other people feel the same way. I'm pretty sure I am going to get to the big day and have a drag myself on the plane and deal with the consequences then. Having previously suffered with anxiety and panic attacks getting to the airport and getting on the plane is of particular worry but I am feeling as well prepared as as possible and I'm confident that once I get there my worries will pass and i will have the time of my life. I just wondered if you had set off yet Redemma and how your journey was and how you feel now? Reply to this

Wow, I'm so glad I stumbled upon this blog. I have researched, researched and researched some more... I so badly want to travel to Buenos Aires and I will be doing it alone. I'm a single gal and feeling pretty brave until I talk to my family and they tell me it's too dangerous bla bla bla. I totally agree that we need to push ourselves beyond our comfort zones and just step out there and DO IT!! And as independent, intelligent women we also have enough common sense to stay away from potentially dangerous situations, and enough intuition to know when to walk away quickly!
Having said all this i wish you the best of luck and happiest of travels. I feel re-inspired to go ahead and book my flight.
Question for you... have you figured out where to stay? I've been looking at apartments online as it's a bit more affordable than a hotel, and it will also give me the feeling of living there (albeit for a short time). I've heard Palmero and SAn Telmo are the best neighborhoods. Any feedback you can give me would be appreciated. I plan to be there for the last 2 weeks in January - maybe we can meet for a tea or drink and you can tell me all about your fantastic travels and give a rookie some tips!! That is if you're going to be in BA. Anyway, any feedback on where to stay would be appreciated.
angie Reply to this

Hats off to all of us!! I found a very nice B&B with a/c, breakfast and free tango lessons daily in San Telmo. Really, what more could a girl ask for? LOL. I have looked into a few hostels as well, but I like my own space and this place had very good reviews.
It's a new year and time to embark on new adventures!! We should all try to keep in touch during our travels, and hopefully look back on these silly fears and all have a chuckle.

Cheers!

angie Reply to this

I'm enjoying the positivity as well.... I will be arriving in BA on Jan 21 so I guess we won't cross paths. Too bad, but I'll check in during that week and see how everything is going!! Reply to this

Our trip is now less than 6 months away (6 months in SA) and it's hit me how little research we've managed to get done so far - still, there is plenty of time to start reading the rough guides!

Ridiculously excited, already, but also a little apprehensive as it will be 6 months away from the UK!!

We spent two weeks backpacking in Central America back in 2006 and that was terrific fun!

What I'm finding a struggle is booking the flights. What websites and airlines have you guys used to book your flights!?

Reply to this

LOL... after hearing your stories I can't help but laugh at myself. I just planning a little 2 week trip to BA - but scary just the same!!! LOL. My story is a bit different... mid 30s... mid life crises (?). My career has hit a bit of a lull and I'm ready to make a change but not entirely sure what I want to do. My boyfriend is in Australia and I went down there last year for 3 months. Even though I was going to him, I hardly knew him so I was scared to death. Going to live with a guy, stranger in a strange land, far...far away from family and friends for 3 months. It was all good! Did I get homesick? Absolutley yes, but facebook is a great tool and they are never further than a phone call or email away. I found that I was a bit anxious to get home near the end, but once I got here I realized that nothing had changed, everything was okay and I was ready to go again! Sometimes it's the nagging thoughts of what you are missing that causes a bit of anxiety - well trust me - NOTHING changes so be proud and excited that you are out there living life, and think of the like minded people and friends you will make on your journey. GRRRR I wish I was going for longer now. Anyway, I plan to continue on back to Aus after this trip and try to continue/nourish this long long distance love affair. That's the scary part for me.... I sometimes wonder if I have rocks in my head.

I booked my flight and my accomodations last night. Yay! I used flightnetwork.com and found they had the best deal... and trust me, I did ALOT of research. Qantas seems to have some good rated (I looked into the round the world as well) and they are an excellent airline. I've flown with then to Oz twice now.

So, put your anxieties aside.... you are about to embark on the journey of a lifetime!!! I suggest travel tabs (gravol) for the long flights - it'll knock you right out and you'll feel much better if you've had some sleep.

Have a great day everyone. Keep in touch! Reply to this

what's up people. so props to everyone here for encouragement. With reguards to things like yellow fever outbreaks in argentina, most of the time these things get a lot of press, but only affect a small amount of people. It's like not going to england if they found 5 people with mad cow disease. If you're looking for more travel health info, the Center for Disease control was helpful to me. if you're looking for an apartment in palermo or san telmo, I recommend checking out craigslist. Craigslist . I found a place in palermo in about 2 days, unfortunately, some of the places listed are a bit overpriced. For general travel stuff and things to do wikibackpacker was really useful for me. Now for encouragement. Think of like this. All the people who have done this beforehand are just regular people. No super powers, no special gifts or talents. They all did it, and by my experience, they are all glad they did it. Of course some people have horror stories, but they make the best conversations. My personal example. "once while I was scuba diving off the coast of zanzibar, my ship sank, and local fisherman pirated my stuff" see. I at least have a story I can tell for the rest of my life... Reply to this