Have you ever noticed how James Bond movies make travel look so easy? Blink and you are in another exotic city, thousands of miles away. You never see James dealing with luggage or jet lag.
But in the real world, travel can be a pain in the ass. It has its rewards, no question. The destinations can be breathtakingly beautiful, adventurous, educational, relaxing, fun. Whatever you want. And the memories and experiences can keep on giving long after you return home.
If only we could blink and arrive at our destination, like in a movie. But no. There are a million details we take care of before, during and after a trip. And getting to our destination can involve a lot of mind numbing boredom, fatigue, long lines, and cramped spaces. Once you get there though, then the adventure really begins.
Travel Can Be Scary
But I'm getting ahead of myself. First, you have to get up the nerve to travel. Now, I've talked to a lot of fellow travelers over the years. We talk about where we've been and where we want to go, things we've seen and done. But we never talk about how scary travel can be. Exciting yes, but scary too. And I can't believe it's just me.
Maybe we put it out of our minds. How we felt that first time we traveled Internationally. Or the first time we traveled solo somewhere. Yes, it gets easier the more you do it, but that first time can be a little intimidating. And even after decades of travel, I’m still a little nervous before a trip. In fact, I don’t fully relax until I’m home again.
I took my first international trip when I was 25. It was a guided tour of Spain. Prior to that I’d never had any burning desire to travel that I can recall. (I was the one who always got car sick on the family vacations.) I heard about the trip through a coworker and thought it sounded interesting. So I went to a meeting to check it out.
The guy in charge was very upfront about what could go wrong and I almost quit before I even started. But I screwed up my courage and I went. And I loved it! Not all of it of course. Certainly not the long plane rides. But I was hooked.
Common Travel Fears
Fortunately, I've never been afraid of flying, but everything else about travel scared me. At least in the beginning. As with most of the things we worry about, it either never happens or turns out not to be so bad.
Below were some of my early travel fears. Sound familiar?
- I'm a picky eater. Will I find food to eat? (Yes.)
- I don't speak the local language, how will I communicate. (Most speak at least some English or pantomime works.)
- Will I get sick? (Never seriously.)
- Will I miss a plane connection? (Yes, but I got another flight.)
- Will I lose my luggage? (A couple times, but only temporarily.)
- Will I get robbed? (A few attempts, but nope.)
- Will the weather be good? (Sometimes yes, sometimes no.)
- Will I get lost? (Sometimes, but I eventually got where I wanted to go.)
- Will I get lonely? (If you do, family and friends are just a phone call or email away.)
- Will I have a good time? (Almost always.)
It really did get easier the more I traveled. And my confidence grew with each trip. Inevitably problems arise, but you just deal with them. Just like at home.
Practical Advice
Fear – If you are interested in travel I would recommend starting with a driving trip close to home. Later try a domestic trip where you have to fly. And when you are ready, an international trip. Perhaps with a tour group. Baby steps.
Boredom – There are things you can do to help overcome the tedium of travel. For example, on one trip a couple friends and I had a marathon tournament of Travel Yahtzee going on throughout the trip. On the plane, on the bus, waiting in lines, etc., we would whip out the Yahtzee dice. It really did make the down time go by faster. It was fun too. Nowadays there are game apps, audiobooks, podcasts.
Safety – As for safety concerns, I'm what you would call risk adverse. I tend not to do stupid or risky things. Especially when I'm alone in a foreign country. I don't go into bad parts of town. I don’t pick up strange men. I don't go out alone at night. I always secure my money and passport and I don't flash any valuables. Better yet, I don't bring any valuables. I stay alert. Common sense stuff.
If you travel smart you can stay safe. If you plan ahead you can avoid a lot of problems. If you leave yourself open to new things you can enhance your travel experience. Hopefully in a good way. Things can (and will) happen outside your control, but that's true wherever you are.
If travel isn't your thing, that's fine. Don’t force it. But if you do want to travel, and fear is holding you back, try to overcome it. You'll be so glad you did.
Do you have any travel fears you’d like to share?
For more travel advice check out my previous articles below:
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