Embrace the Fear  -      Are you nervous? Me too! It’s an adventure, you should be a bit nervous out of your comfort zone, that is precisely why you are going. Don’t be reckless but if you do your research ahead of time, respect the reality of the place you are visiting and pay attention to your surroundings you will be ok. Don’t travel into a war zone, obviously, but don’t let normal fears of being in a new place alone stop you. 

There are No Yesterdays on the Road  -      You can be whoever you want and no one will know different. Reinvent, discover your genuine self, and say “Hi” to strangers. You'll meet so many new people out there, yes, even you, the introvert. (I’m a huge introvert and I am never more comfortable socially then when traveling.) Other travelers are out there with you, also away from their home support systems and looking to meet new friends, and if you don’t like them, no worries, there’s no obligations as you're just passing through. So take a chance, be the person you've always wanted to be but were too shy to attempt around people who had preconceived notions of who you are.

Be Practical with your Budget  -      Plan the finances ahead of time, save money wherever you can so you can spend it on the experiences you can’t duplicate at home. For me that means not splurging on food unless it’s a local specialty I can’t find in the States and instead spend that money to go dogsledding. But your priorities might be different. As long as you know what they are and budget accordingly you're good. 

     When planning your budget always overestimate what things will cost and bring emergency cash. Get a travel credit card with no foreign transaction fees and take advantage of the travel perks and a make sure you have a no fee ATM card.

Research and Plan WAY Ahead  -      Are there things you particularly want to do, festivals or local traditions you want to take part in? Do your research so you can plan your travel for the right season. Nothing is worse than discovering the place you wanted to visit just closed for the off season last week. If it’s a very popular destination or activity that is inspiring your trip you also want to arrange accommodations early so you don’t find them all booked up. There is lots to be said for wingin' it and going with the flow once you're on the go but the more planning you do the more free those wings will be.

Travel Slow  -      Allow for free time and always be willing to change your plans once you're on the ground. You'll never truly know what you want to do in a city day-to-day until you get there, so give yourself wiggle room to be flexible, to take advantage of the local knowledge about what the best spots in town are.  

         Don’t book up every second of the day. Travel is tiring, even just sitting on a long plane trip wears you out. So build rest days into your schedule, don’t overbook your days activities. You will get sick or just exhausted on the road, same as you do at home, sometimes more depending on the food, climate and wider exposure to new germs and lots of people. Plan for days where you don’t want to be up and about so that a down day doesn’t mean missing something you were really looking forward to. And don’t feel guilty about taking a day ‘off' from tourism.

Be Smart about Safety  -    For example, if you are a relatively inexperienced traveler, don’t plan your arrival to a new city for after dark, (particularly one where you don’t speak the language.) It will make finding your way to your destination that much harder without light and less people to ask directions from. Not to mention more nerve wracking if you don’t know the city well enough to know which parts of town are questionable. (This is doubley true for female and solo travelers) Check out the Safety Page for more guidelines on staying safe.

Do Free Walking Tours & ASK about Local Hang Outs  -   Get the lay of the land and go out of your way to meet the locals not just other traveler’s. ASK you guide about good local bars and cafes.  Use social media and travel apps like Couchsurfing and Airb'n'b to connect with people in town. Chat with bartenders and other customers. You will always have something to start up a conversation - your traveling after all, they will want to hear about where you're from and you want to hear from them about what you should see in town - easy conversation!

Travel Light  -   I guarantee you only need half of what you think you do, and you don’t want to be lugging tons around with you.  And while going out don’t take all your valuables , only carry what you need for that days activities. Keep back ups and photo copies on your phone and leave the important stuff locked safely where you are staying.

Learn a few Local Phrases & a bit about the Culture  -      It will make it easier to strike a up a conversation and you will appreciate what you are seeing so much more in the context of the places history and culture. The people will also be touched that you tried to learn about them.

Get Insurance -   Life happens, even on the road. I have been bitten by a rabid animal, chipped a tooth, missed connections,  had bags lost and delayed...  It’s no big deal when things go wrong if you are prepared with insurance to cover it, then the crisis becomes just an inconvenience and a good travel story for later, instead of a devastating mishap.