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Travel Anxiety

Forestwood
airplane over high rise buildings
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“Courage is not the absence of fear,

but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.”

― Franklin D. Roosevelt

Some people are nervous about travel. Particularly now, as strange virulent germs threaten our safety and confidence.

I have always loved travelling. Perhaps it comes from a Great Grandparent, who loved to travel. Perhaps it is just me.

I admit to being slightly terrified on my first overseas trip.

It was 1986.

Seated in the airport lounge, I remember being so startled when I heard the boarding call for my flight. In my panic, I knocked a full can of soft drink over my lap!

My destination was Nepal. Not exactly the most elementary of countries for an inexperienced overseas traveller to visit.

Nepal was so very different to home. It wasn’t hugely popular with tourists.

I saw jaw-dropping historic architecture, older than when my country was just a twinkle in the eye of a medieval explorer.

I saw grinding poverty and children afflicted with leprosy. I saw small blind children begging at temples. But I also saw loads of colour and many smiles on the faces of the Nepalese people.

I witnessed religious traditions of blood sacrifices of live goats, their throats cut and the blood turning the dusty ditches red. I saw open-air butchers slaughtering beasts and hanging them on hooks in the street.

A storm hours after our arrival resulted in a stampede at a soccer match killing around 80 people. Kathmandu mourned its dead.

It was confronting for a city girl from Australia. I suffered culture shock the first day or so. I frowned a lot, not from being unhappy, on the contrary, it was from feeling so utterly privileged to live in a first-world country. The contrast of what I now judged to be my luxurious life, was significant, even as one who was only just scraping into a middle-class income level.

I felt guilty about what I had at home when I saw others had so little.

Are you wondering why I chose Nepal as a destination?

I wanted to open my eyes to the world. To see how other people lived. To see something other than a duplication of what I saw on my own home continent.

nepal 1986

Courage is not freedom from fear. It is being afraid and still continuing.

Once you have looked fear in the face and have overcome it, you can repeat that again and again and again.

Travel Advice for Nervous First-time Travellers

If it is travel you yearn for, get your mind ready before you leave.

You cannot and most likely will not have the level of control you have at home.

You can expect to be uncomfortable at times, often delayed, bored occasionally and most certainly frustrated.

Things will be different.

That is why we travel.

If you have been lucky enough to travel overseas, what was your first destination?

Were you nervous, surprised or delighted?

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Published by Forestwood

A philosophic Aussie writes here at StPA, one who will readily admit to loving Scandinavia. I'm interested in global politics and what drives us to be who we are. Scratch the surface and you'll find a practical Environmentalist with an egalitarian bent, trying to unleash a little creativity via the written word. Scandinavian culture, literature and traditions are close to my heart, even though I'm Australian. Travel and courteous discussions greatly broaden the mind, so I travel if I can and am always up for a vigorous, respectful discussion. I'm an avid reader, a writer and I enjoy photography and crafts, particularly traditional art forms. I hope you'll find 'Something to Ponder About,' in my WordPress Community.

152 thoughts on “Travel Anxiety”

    1. No, it did not put me off. It led to some humanitarian projects and a special place in my heart for the little country with the highest mountains. Perhaps I would have done more if I had travelled before, or perhaps I would have been more cautious in what I did. In a recent Facebook post, someone asked what would their advice be to their 16-year-old self. My answer was: Travel more.
      Where was your first travel destination, Alison?

      Liked by 3 people

      1. Paris with my school when I was 11. Horrendous channel crossing and staying in a youth hostel. I had my 12th birthday there. It was quite fun and very exciting. I remember being asked at the restaurant by the 15 year olds to smuggle a bottle of wine out under my cape! It was a youth club trip for all ages.

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      1. Amanda, my first trip abroad was to London on business. After the business portion of the trip concluded, I had a day to myself. I did a walking tour through the parks, Churchill’s Underground HQ, lunch at a pub, a discovery museum and Harrods(sp?). I think I walked about 12 miles. It was a great day. Keith

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      2. London! Somewhere everywhere else has been but not I. I do tend to avoid the place if I can. I have seen far too much of London and England on television to have any desire to visit. But I do understand why it is popular. There’s a lot of history there. What was your impression of another country. Did it seem much different to USA?

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      3. Amanda, I have been twice now and I have enjoyed it. I love the streets of quaint shops and the parks. There are three parks in close proximity that are gathering places. The last time I was there we went to the theater and walk around Soho. Plus, we did the Abbey Road crosswalk like The Beatles. What they do not tell you is the road is busy, so walking across is an experience. One key thing they do for left-side drivers, is have arrows on the roads at the sidewalks to say “Look this way.” Keith

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      4. Reminders to watch out for traffic, hey Keith? Sounds practical. Especially as there must be loads of visitors who drive on the opposite side of the road in their home country so they would not be used to looking the other way to cross the road.
        One wonders why UK didn’t opt to change to driving on the right when Sweden changed over. It would have been easier to be in line with the rest of Europe.

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  5. 5 years old, crossing the border between France and Spain and entering the latter during the fascist Franco era. The first time I had ever seen guns. Daren’t let go of my Mum’s hand. Because I was lucky enough to travel a lot as a child, no trip as an adult ever made me feel like a first timer, and both Michaela and I like being put out of our comfort zone when travelling – well, more accurately, we like overcoming that challenge. Unfortunately I think one of the cloying effects of COVID is that a lot of people are feeling like first time travellers all over again – nervous and uncertain. I feel like I want to shout from the rooftops that it’s OK to travel and it’s as stimulating and as wonderful as it it ever was.

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    1. Thanks for your valued input, Phil. It is always reassuring to hear of your experiences in the current climate. Sometimes bad things happen to travellers and we get to hear about it, many times. Thus, tricking our brains that this is likely to happen if we travel. It is unlikely, yet it can happen. There are no guarantees. Having said that, one can get into trouble walking around the corner from home too! You have nailed the secret to a deeper travel experience – overcoming the challenges! With each travel experience, one learns how to cope and many of those experiences translate to life skills!
      As I usually have a lot of connections when I travel to the North – living as I do in the boondocks of the world, I am always worried that my luggage will be lost or there will be a delay that will mean I will miss a flight. Up til now, I have never had lost luggage, although I know plenty of people who have and never had a cancelled flight or missed connection. Well, I did miss an interstate train connection once, but that was here, in Sydney!
      The trip into Fascist Spain must have been quite daunting as a child, but again, you most likely picked up some courage and life skills. Your parent’s demeanour would no doubt have influenced you too. I assume they were keen travellers, too?
      Have your posted about your worst ever travel experience – if there was one?

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      1. Probably the first thing to say is – it makes a huge difference if like us you’re lucky enough to be long term travellers. Any delay or time consuming issue on a two-week holiday feels like a disaster, whereas once you’re retired you have a very different outlook and just take such setbacks in your stride. Ah well we HAVE had the luggage thing (Michaela’s backpack failed to show in Greece last year, but turned up before breakfast second day), one flight re-routed to the wrong airport and two incidents of not being able to fly home due to bad weather – funnily enough on two consecutive trips. We were also passengers on a bus in Laos which crashed head on with another bus – luckily no injuries. But…. we haven’t ever been the victims of mugging or other violent or threatening crime on our travels, or suffered injury or illness needing hospital treatment. Those are two things which would cause great stress and we feel fortunate that we’ve been lucky enough to avoid both. Oh, and did I mention that the lodge we were sleeping in got struck by lightning once…..now there’s another story…

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      2. How true it is – the length of one’s trip determines how concerning delays are. Still with the amount of travelling you guys do and the destinations you choose, I am surprised you haven’t run into more issues.
        Although the lightning strike and Loatian bus crash are pretty significant events. Did you post about them?
        I am wondering if the driver survived the bus crash and what response did the authorities offer to the rest of the travellers?

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      3. Yes we posted, some of our more “out there” stories are in the “travel stories” section on our site. I am sure you would react to the story headed “the curious tale of the day bag and the dress”! The driver was probably the calmest person on the bus. Authorities?? This was Laos!!

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  6. Thank you for these very wise travel thoughts, Amanda. My first time traveling on a plane was to New York City when I was six years old. My first time traveling outside of Canada or the US was to Rome, Italy with my HS art class when I was 15. I have had travel etched into my soul ever since!

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    1. The travel bug definitely caught you, Donna! As a 15 year travelling to Rome, did you suddenly think there was a whole world of different destinations that were about to open up to you, as a traveller?

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  7. Of all the places to travel to first, Nepal is an amazing choice. What made you choose it?

    When I was 11 years old, I had my first trip abroad to Miami, Florida. I remember going into Walgreens (a drugstore store chain) and being overcome by it’s candy selection. At home in Jamaica, the retail stores had maybe two commerically made packet sweets and no chocolate bars. In Walgreens there were entire aisles filled with candy & chocolate. I remember buying a giant yellow lollypop with then newly iconic smiley face. 🙂

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    1. I can hear that your experience travelling to Florida opened up the concept of infinite possibilities outside of Jamaica, for you, Sandy. No chocolate at all? Wow. Your teeth are probably much better off for it.
      Choosing Nepal as a destination was daring, I have to say. I was very naive, I think. My Uncle and Aunt had only recently been to Nepal and hearing them talk about it, I was determined to go. They had gone on an organized tour and the Moth and I were to travel independently, so it was surprisingly bold, looking back. When everyone in my peer group was travelling to London, for their os experience, I was not in the least bit interested in seeing sights that I had seen on the television Sooo often. I wanted to see and experience a different culture. I had briefly toyed with the idea of travelling on the Siberian express, the Amazon, or Greenland, – but I decided on Asia as I knew things would be very different there. I think exotic and very different destinations have always interested me but I lost interest in South America and never got to the Siberian express. I didn’t tread the usual European routes until much later, and even then, I avoid England like the plague! I still have never been there, despite the travel agents trying to send me there on the long-haul flights to Scandinavia. I always request a route via Japan, Asia, Germany or Italy. It seems pointless to travel further west than I have to, only to turn around and fly eastwards back to Scandinavia.
      When you left school, where did you want to see first?

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      1. After this one trip to Florida, I didn’t travel again until I immigrated to Canada. There the thirst for exploration was satisfied by the overwhelming newness of my new home. I admit that when I finished university I was envious of all those students who went backpacking thru Europe but that wasn’t in the cards.

        Eventually I did go to Europe & was horribly disappointed. I was actually offered a job in Paris which I refused. Something I regret now. After 3 or 4 visits, I eventually did learn to love Paris. If it wasn’t for the pandemic, we might have even have chosen to live there for a while. I’m still hoping that one day everything will feel right again & we will return.

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      2. Sandy, I am intrigued as to why Europe disappointed you. Can you explain why you felt that, at that time in your life?
        Although I am with you on Paris still. I have never been there and never will. It is far too hyped up for me to want to ever go there. Too many other smaller and more interesting destinations to visit before I get there. Although the countryside to the south and the Pyrenees I would probably enjoy. Paris to me is a little like London. Seen too much of it on TV and the internet to be novel or interesting.

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      3. As to why I initially hated Paris … it had to do with the hype too, except I believed it. I’d built up an image of Paris based on books and movies and when I arrived there, I wasn’t prepared for the filth and rudeness. Even my husband who was born there but had grown up in Canada, was shocked by their manners & version of customer service.

        I remember being rudely rebuked by a shopkeeper because I’d handed her money for payment. Apparently, I had to put it on a rubber mat in front of her. Another time we went into a cinema & an usher led us to our seat. When we sat down he loomed over us, saying “Eh, where’s my tip!” Probably the biggest shock was how filthy it was. People let their dogs defile public places, even inside train stations. So much poop was on the sidewalks, I spent more my time looking down versus looking up at the landmarks!

        My perspective changed in later years. Maybe because we learned to avoid the touristy areas. Maybe we learned to expect the differences and laugh at them. For sure, the streets are cleaner now and I don’t have to watch my step quite as carefully.

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      4. That sounds disgusting, Sandy and if I had that experience I would concur with you! No doubt there are some lovely areas in Paree. I think I am the sort of personality that challenges popular romantic notions of places. When expectations are so high, they always disappoint. A place has to make me feel warm, intrigued, amazed, accepted, respected to be ‘loved.’ I doubt think Paris/France either then or now could compete with Nepal, Japan or Scandinavia. Just saying….

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    1. I hope you get there. It is a really incredible country. When I looked up to see the clouds in the sky, I was astonished to notice that they weren’t clouds at all, but the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas.

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  9. It’s good to remember how wealthy we are if we’re lucky enough to have been born, or to have moved to Australia. I haven’t been to Nepal myself, but from the effect that trip had in you, I wish a few more people would go there.

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    1. It certainly was an eye opener, Chris that altered my perspective. Seeing how the Nepalese manage on so little, made me rail against waste, years before the mantra of downsizing and reduce, reuse and recycle entered mainstream consciousness. Perhaps it needs to be a consideration for high school/gap year projects?

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  10. My first trip was by boat through Ellis Island NY from Germany. We never settled anywhere even in Germany so we were in constant motion my entire life. I call what you did ‘expanding your bubble’. For me, the most stark contrast to what I lived was in 1968-69 when we moved to Taiwan for 14 months. Probably very much like what you saw in India on a smaller scale. I never took anything for granted as we were not among the privileged nor were my American family. Hunger was a constant companion everywhere. I think everyone should travel outside their comfort zone. Even in Frankfort train station, we saw the microcosm of society in one place. What an education!

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    1. Frankfurt train station would be a mecca for anyone without a goal or place to be. I was a little shocked to see the increased amount of homeless in Berlin in 2016, compared to my first glimpse of the city eight years prior. After Angela Merkel took in 1 million more refugees one year, I can only imagine the situation across the country now. And then, Taiwan: hunger in the late sixties? I am not surprised either. You’ll be pleased to know that things have changed in recent times, presumably due to the strategic importance the country has now. My son travelled there just before Covid in 2020 and really enjoyed it as a tourist destination but has the impression they distrust foreigners generally. His girlfriend at the time was on a scholarship there for six months.

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  11. My first trip abroad was to Trieste and Venice with my father whe nI was twelve…in November! Venice was so atmospheric in the fog…and I remember fathr refusing to pay for the lights to be put on in the churches, having his own powerful torch! No way was the Roman Catholic Church getting a penny from him.

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    1. Haha! Your father sounds stubborn! But good on him. What a fun introduction to foggy Venice! The fog would have added to the mystical romantic feel. I have not been to either city- the closest I got was Verona. I hear the pandemic cleared out Venice as the rents had become so exorbitant, tourists lived there short term instead of Venetians!

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  12. My first overseas trip was a multi-week trip to Europe with a girlfriend. I’m not sure if it’s still this way but we mostly stayed at the homes of middle aged women who would meet us at the train stations and offer their homes as B&Bs. It felt – and was – very safe. Your trip to Nepal sounds amazing! Did you go with friends or solo?

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    1. Your trip to Europe with girlfriends sounds idyllic. A fun gap trip. It has almost become a right of passage for school graduates to travel to Europe and stay in BnB’s or backpackers. I don’t know if the middle aged women BnB’s are still operating but when I stayed in Denmark in BnB’s – it was also mostly middle aged women who were operating them, or middle aged couples. They did not meet us at the station though!
      I travelled to Nepal with my husband who had only been to New Zealand before. (Identical almost to Australia). He was even more out of his comfort zone than me as he has definite food preferences. We had been cautioned about what to eat and what NOT to eat and drink prior to going over. That was great advice and we did not get sick. Other Aussies we met did get sick from eating a meat dish. We walked into a shop one day and there were donuts in the window, literally covered with flies. We walked out without buying anything. We found a really good pizza place and one serving vegetarian lasagne. We stuck with these places as the others we tried were worrisome. Things didn’t taste as they should. They had very little access to refrigeration in those days. India I was told was even more risky in terms of food hygiene. Most tourists get some kind of “delhi belly.”

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  13. My first overseas trip was with my elder brother and a friend of his. I was 16 and we went to Japan and Hong Kong. It was a great eye-opening trip. A few things that stick with me: My headmaster giving me permission to miss three weeks of school saying the trip would give me as much or more of an education as being in school. Wandering in a mass of people at temples and the like and always easily being able to spot my equally tall brother anywhere! Being a picky eater, and having to point at plastic dishes in the window without having much of a clue what they were. Lots more as well, of course.

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    1. I took my daughter out of school in Year 3 to tour Europe and Norway for three months and she felt she did suffer falling behind in Maths, however, she remembers so many things from that trip, even as a 22 year old. Fantastic special memories that given the Covid world in which we now live, will never come around again. I am so thankful we did that trip. (And she was never going to love Maths anyway). So, I think your teacher was correct. One of my children’s school teachers was firmly of the same opinion that an opportunity to travel was more beneficial than sitting in the classroom. It builds so much of life experience that can never be taught in class. What fun you guys must have had on your first trip. Japan and Hong Kong are mind-blowing destinations, simply for the scale of experiencing 100% population density and the orderliness of Japan. Like your brother, when I travelled to Japan with my daughter, (who is tall and blonde) it was really easy to spot her in the crowd. She caused much interest amongst the Asian population who often stopped to ask if they could take her photo. One of them actually said he thought she was, “A beautiful lady from the beautiful sky!”
      The Moth (husband), is not a fan of noodles and having a stopover in Singapore once, we had to walk a good distance to find him some western food to eat! Those plastic replicas of dishes that are popular, particularly in Japan are impressive, aren’t they? I don’t think I have encountered them anywhere else other than Asia.

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      1. I ended up in a lot of photos while we were there. Even today, when we have Japanese visitors around, I sometimes get asked to be in photos! I haven’t seen the plastic dishes anywhere else which is a shame. I thought they were a great idea, even if I never really knew what they represented.

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  15. Wow, I can’t believe your first trip was to Nepal long before it was a tourist destination. That is seriously hardcore. But I love the reasons why you went. Technically my first trip OS was to the USA when my father went for a year long sabbatical just after I was born. My first alone as an adult was to Europe, far more tame than your effort.

    My mantra when I travel is “Over-prepare but then go with the flow.” It has served me well.

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    1. Sorry Heather, somehow I missed replying to your comment until now.
      Your travel mantra is a good one. Reassuring and affirming. Once you know you have done the preparation, you can relax and enjoy the experience more deeply. No doubt you have instilled this into your sons. Do they have the same desire for solo adventure walks as you?

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  17. My first travel experience was very tame compared to yours. When I was ten I went with my parents and younger sister to stay with family in Germany – Mum’s uncle was serving in the RAF there. So we stayed on a British military base, hardly ‘foreign’! But I loved exploring the nearby towns and cities and seeing the differences between them and my home in a London suburb. And believe me, being in a car driven by my father (neither a confident nor a particular competent driver) on the ‘wrong’ side of the road all the way from Dover to Germany WAS an adventure, and one to be justifiably nervous about 😆

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    1. Sarah, there is one thing that I have not been able to confidently master in travelling overseas and that is driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road. I have tried it – in country Denmark in a very safe and quiet environment. Unfortunately, it was a manual car and as I was driving along, I suddenly realised I had to change gears with my opposite hand! Not easy. An automatic transmission would have been much better. After 5 km, I stopped and didn’t ask to drive again! So I can relate to your nerves about your father’s tentative drive from Dover to Germany! Hopefully, there was less traffic in those days!
      I can see that this trip may have been the origin of you being bitten by the travel bug? You are correct in that if one is observant there is so much to see – the differences and the similarities. When I visited Nepal, I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to be able to travel overseas again. That is because the Moth and I had an agreement that he would go to Nepal on the basis that it was just one overseas trip and no more. Something he has stuck to vehemently. – (he won’t even go to NZealand anymore – and that is not really considered overseas here). So that is one reason why I have always travelled solo overseas, since then. Because I was, at that time, in the mindset that the Nepalese trip might be the only overseas trip I had, I had my eyes peeled and concentrated on looking and noting every detail around me. To this day, I can recall that trip better than many of the others! It is cemented into my long term memory and I am very thankful for that.

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  18. What a wonderful topic of discussion, Amanda. Travel has evolved so much over the last couple of years. For those of us who have always been keen on travel, it’s probably something we won’t take for granted again. Interesting to hear you chose Nepal as a destination to travel to in your early travel days and lovely you got to see a side of Nepal a lot aren’t aware of despite how confronting the experience. My first overseas destination was Malaysia but I was probably about five or six at the time. I don’t remember much about it except some slivers of it and that it is much more metropolitan than Australia.

    I like that quote about courage you shared and agree with that. Fear is about staying stuck in a cycle that no longer serves us, and courage is having the initiative to try something different and change. With travel especially to foreign places, you really don’t know what to fully expect until you get there – and even the best laid travel plans can go astray.

    What I find interesting about travel is how it’s marketed to us, especially how destinations can promise us the trip of a lifetime. And it’s so interesting how many gravitate towards tourist destinations. I do wonder if first time travelers gravitate to such trips, but I guess it depends on the person and what their intention is with travel.

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    1. I feel sure that many first time travellers gravitate to organized trips and tourist destinations. Although many young people just book the flight and “wing” it from there. I do like to have my bed for the night organized before I go. Other than that, I am happy to wing it. I guess that is the fear I haven’t yet conquered – the fear of being in a foreign city with no bed for the evening.
      When you first visited Malaysia, did it instill in you a desire to visit again when you were older? Or I wonder if you deliberately chose a different destination?

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      1. It’s always a good idea to have a bed and accommodation sorted. You never know how tired you may end up. To be honest, I’ve felt a pull to other countries apart from Malaysia. I think the older I get, the more appreciative of travels I get.

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      3. It’s really hard to say which country in particular I feel drawn to, as that has changed over time. That said, I really am drawn to places that are tropical or with warm climate.

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    1. That comment is much appreciated and encourages me to write more about my travelling experiences, PtP. Thank you so much. It is always so lovely to see a comment pop up from you in my notifications! You make me smile! 🙂

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  20. I had a friend at work in my early twenties who worked for six months or so and saved everything she got. And then she took off and traveled the world. She back-packed around places that would have scared me to death. But she met people and saw the world in a way that we don’t in the US. I’ll add you to my list of travelers I envy. It isn’t very easy over here, that’s always been a big excuse. It’s not very easy from Australia either, I’d guess. My priorities were different then. I guess they’re still different, though for not the same reasons. At least we have the chance to learn about the world, a little, through the internet. Through listening to others who have done it first hand. It’s not the same but I do appreciate hearing the stories of your travels.

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    1. I think for Australians the biggest obstacle is finding finances to simply get out of the country. An overseas flight to anywhere in Asia, (except Bali) is at least 6 – 8 hours and can cost up to one grand! To Europe it is generally two long haul flights of 12 hours each. Some folks don’t cope with the time zone change. I am lucky in that flying backwards in time ie westwards, doesn’t affect me so I land fresh and ready to go when I go to Europe. It is quite the different story coming home though. Everyone is very excited to have me home but flying forward in time, I tend to fall asleep mid sentence for a few days after I arrive home! I usually have to write off a week off my trip – so if I go for a month, one week is pretty well spent in flying, down time, lost time due to time differences, layovers in between flights and then recovery. So I tend to go for as long as I can on a tourist visa to make the most of the cost and the time it takes to get to Europe. Thus, I can relate to your comment about it isn’t easy. Even though the distances are not as huge from USA to Europe, you are flying Easterly and as such forward in time and that is hard on the body.

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      1. It’s still a pretty big distance, imagine that I live somewhere around Alice Springs and add that distance to my travel. I used to envy people who live in the UK, lots of places to travel for not very much money, and to just spend a day or two if desired. Ah, well, I can’t go back in time. I never had the money and was always busy with school and work. My friend from Queanbeyan used to spend a couple months in the US and visit people around the country. That seems like a pretty good plan to me.

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      2. Ah yes, I see what you mean. I spent a whole 24 hours once travelling to the other side of Australia in little flights hopping from city to city. It was exhausting and time consuming.
        I also envy the European, British and Scandi folks. Just to decide to spend the weekend or even the afternoon in another country kind of blows my mind!
        When we do that we are just going from the city to the beach or if we live close to the interstate border, perhaps hoping over to another state. Not really the same experience!
        And I can see why your ACT pal wanted to make the most of her trip to the USA. When I did this in Europe, a Norwegian friend commented: Amanda, you travel like an American!
        They don’t really get it as they just go to the one city and explore that for a few weeks.
        For us in the boondocks, we need to make the most of every minute!

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  21. Nepal on your first trip abroad? – bravery indeed. But, you were certainly ahead of the learning curve after that one. We love to travel and experience different cultures and customs, but we do have limitations for situations we will deliberately put ourselves into. Street food is a big NO for both of us unless it comes highly recommended. You were smart to find a reliable place to eat and stick with it.

    Our worst experiences seem to always have to do with driving. We hit a police car in Florence (took off the side mirror), got a ticket in Amsterdam, and witnessed the car in front of us catch on fire while driving through a tunnel in Italy. These days we mostly take trains.

    Europeans who have not traveled to the US or Australia really don’t get it. I envy the convenience of entering a different country like we enter a different state. When we do travel abroad we make it count and get the most bang for the buck. The days of ‘big luggage’ are coming to an end though as the airlines have made it all but impossible to travel with anything but a small bag. Never thought our generation would be Boomers with Back Packs, but here we come. Hope there are lots of coin laundries available.

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    1. Hey Suzanne, sorry for the late reply. Have been offline a lot lately.
      Your driving experiences sound nerve wracking and I can only imagine the conversation after taking the side mirror off a police car! Some of those Italian streets are so narrow! I can see why you like travelling by train. I find trains so much better as usually I travel solo. You can see quite a bit of countryside through the windows and relax and move around if you need to do so. Much more civilised! Where was your best train experience?
      I think travelling across Scandinavia for the first time would be hard to beat.

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      1. We love traveling by train through Europe, but you will probably be very surprised to know that my best experience was Amtrak cross-country in the US. We traveled from San Francisco to Chicago. Passing through the Sierra Nevada mountains during a springtime snow fall was magical.

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      2. Anywhere with snowfall is magical, I think, Suzanne. So I am inclined to believe you. Snow adds that pretty icing sugar layer to everything making it look clean and white! Mountains are so scenic draped in white – especially the craggy ones. I took the Bernina and Glacial Express through Switzerland and that was magical! My camera shutting was clicking away constantly.

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  23. Travel has always been about excitement and discovery for me, rather than anxiety. When I went to teach in Guatemala years ago, the poverty was an eye-opener, but found wonder at the indigenous villages and the joy of the children. Sad to be travelling less these days, due to the pandemic.

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    1. Teaching in Guatemala would have been really different to a Western job, and as you say eye opening. I can imagine the poverty would be similar to the situation I encountered in Nepal. Children do not really need expensive toys or devices, just food and shelter, a sense of belonging and lots of love.
      How long were you in Guatemala teaching and may I ask what some of the greatest challenges you faced, were?

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I taught in Guatemala for 3 years at an American school in Guatemala City. (I taught out of the country for 8 years in all, also in Prague and Japan.) Although I had an international student body, I traveled to villages, where they do have a sense of family and belonging, and participated in non-profit organizations. Most difficult was seeing the children that support their families instead of attending school by rummaging through the city dump. A non-profit I knew helps them get to school. And of course the violence and corruption was pervasive.

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      2. Upsetting to hear of more children scavenging to support a family. But heartening to hear of a NFP that supports their education. Education can be so empowering. Sometimes I shake my head at the world. Is it because I have had a fairly comfortable, lower middle-class life for the latter part of my adult years that I seek to improve the world around me through self-discovery and the sharing of wisdom, rather than become sucked into the world of corruption, drugs and violence. Someone I know who used to work for the United Nations, pointed out that the majority of the world, with the exception of America, Australia and “Western countries,” run on corruption. It is simply the way you do business. That was instructive. I am not saying that corruption and violence doesn’t exist in the Western countries, but it is not the standard mode of operation. So while I seek to become a better person, the world is spiralling into some perverse vortex of dog eat dog context. Sad, isn’t it?

        Liked by 1 person

  24. I love this so much, I haven’t traveled yet ,but I want to with a friend and this does ease the nerves. I loved it!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Lovely to hear from you, Marslix. When you do travel overseas, remember to take deep breaths if you feel nervous, keep your wits about you, note everything and you will enjoy the adventure! That is why you are going, after all
      Have you got a first destination in mind?

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  25. Really…I would have concluded that the trip had been you nightmare but it wasn’t right?
    You emphasized on courage that helped you back.

    Liked by 1 person

  26. I have so much travel anxiety!!! I have travelled quite a bit and yet every single time I feel so so nervous before flying out. My first international trip was with my family (when I was in school) to Europe which wasn’t as scary since my parents took care of everything. My first solo international trip was to Dubai and I was so scared especially since I had heard scary stories about how they could jail you if they found anything remotely suspicious on you (even some spices which are banned in UAE). But my trip was amazing.
    I love travelling but I since I am an overthinker I overthink myself into a bout of anxiety by imagining situations that are unlikely to happen. Like: ‘what if they find a gun on me during security check?’ I’ve never been near a gun in my entire life. Or ‘What if my passport is expired and I get arrested in a new country?” Uhhm, they’d never let me leave my country with an expired passport.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It sounds like you have developed a way to reassure yourself despite your fears Panda! Irrational fears are often just that – irrational. Travel can be frightening and I applaud you for going solo through Dubai. Despite it being a huge international airport, I usually avoid flying there if at all possible. Women have extra concerns flying in certain places so it is wise to be cautious. Planning and preparation is the best way to allay those fears. Then like Phil and Michaela mention, it usually works out fine and it also improves our problem solving skills. I have been pulled over in security for readings of explosives in my luggage. That never concerned me as I knew I had no explosives and had not been around them. And of course, it was totally fine.

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  27. Pingback: The Return Of The Blogger Recommendation Series – Happy Panda

  28. What an eye opening experience that must have been, such a contrast to life in the western world. My first overseas trip as a 14yo was to Italy, mum and dads home country. It started my lifelong love of travel. A wonderful post here Amanda.

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  29. Lovely post and intro to how you see rather started seeing world. Nepal is an important country, It upheld its culture and to travel there in 1986!! Mind-world expanding. Did you come back again?

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    1. Narayan – as much as I wished to go back and even kind of made plans to do so, I never have. I was in contact with a gent who used to travel there twice a year. He kept me informed of all the progress and changes. Have you experienced Nepal, yourself?

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      1. Nepal is deep country, so much so it is a part where some important rituals were done that could not happen in India. It is sacred, to an extent it is an expansion of what Uttarakhand(the holiest of Northern Indian state is) The birth place for the river Ganges.

        I have been there Amanda. But on an assignment. A gory assignment to say the least. Last of its own kind. I may provide you with the link only if you want.

        Anyways, thanks for writing this evocative, important post.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. The old rituals and traditions are fascinating and like a time capsule of centuries past.
        A gory assignment? That sounds rather mysterious? What sort of work are you involved in?

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      3. They are. Yes. Time capsule.

        I was on an assignment to document the last fair that happened in 2014- after which it was banned. You will know once you will go through it. I am sharing the link.

        But even apart from what it showed. It was a brilliant learning and seeing experience. Some humans and their stories became a guide to future times.

        Thanks for asking dear new friend.

        https://road-to-nara.com/2020/09/09/a-journal-of-animal-stories-in-the-last-ancient-fair-of-nepal/

        Liked by 2 people

      4. Goodness. That post is very confronting. But you described the atmosphere extremely well. I could remember such sites but nothing on the scale of the festival you describe. This passage brought back memories of Kathmandu region.
        “Everything moving or still is filled with people so many all along the road going to the festival. Trucks, tractors, buses filled like overloaded moving houses with black either colorful heads. People spitting like leaking taps. Cycles, bikes, bull-carts manoeuvring thousands of people carrying water buffaloes, sheep, goats, pigs, pigeons, ducks, hens on their backs or in front. Some have tied them upside down on their cycles, few women were seen hiding them under shawls, varied smells every ten steps. I was awed.” I only saw one or two goats sacrificed in a small town outside Kathmandu, not far from Kiritpur. I can’t remember its name. That was way back in late 1980’s. I see it is very different now and that festival – ohh. It is hard to understand, the cruelty that befell the buffalo that was not killed halal/instantly, but I can understand it is their tradition and that none of the meat is wasted.

        Liked by 1 person

      5. Indeed confronting. What a word to express it. Exactly it was.

        Also it was a long long essay. The meat was transported to China and the Korean countries. But I guess its thing of the past.

        You must plan coming not just to Nepal but to India too.

        Liked by 1 person

  31. How exciting that you are going to spend six months in a foreign country? So much to experience. My advice, having had exchange students come and stay with me is to do as much as you can to start with. 6 months passes so quickly and the last month will be a frantic rush to do everything on your list of must-sees. Integrate as much as you can with the locals and skip spending time on social media as much as you can and journal instead. Note, really look and observe everything. That way it stays in your mind for longer. Talk to people. Those experiences are more educational and memorable than sightseeing! Have fun!

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  32. Those photos look wonderful. I remembered my first time as a solo traveler a decade ago. I was anxious and had lots of negative thoughts, but at the same time, I was excited. Now that I’ve been to a few countries already, I’m not as anxious as before. I do hope to keep my excitement, though because traveling would have been meaningless without it 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    1. You are correct Bahanur! The more you do something the more the anxiety lessens. The quotes on courage allude to that. Without excitement about travelling somewhere, why would we do it?

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  33. The first time I travelled overseas was to Spain. Loved it, the travel, the country, the people. Now I’m much more reluctant to travel abroad, not because I dislike seeing how other people live, but because I don’t have the energy to do so. Worldwide travel is for the young!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It is funny you talk about the energy required for travelling. I used to travel independently and loathe those group tours. I still dislike them but have taken some in latter years and so enjoy the fact that I don’t have to drag around suitcases, backpacks, children, supplies, water bottles etc on my back. I just pop the cases outside my hotel door! And it magically appears at the next stop! Marvellous. Of course there are many downsides and endless planning and preparation needed. I will still travel but agree I travel in a much slower, less frenetic way these days.

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  34. Nepal was quite a brave decision. Compliments.
    My culture shocks went the other way round. Since I was born and raised in the third world biggest shock was when I started College in France. I’d been there every summer for the Hoilday, but to live there full time was quite a shock. 😉
    My first flight ever was on a DC4, from Karachi to Paris. I was 6 months old. 😉
    I don’t remember of course, but I do remember later on the last propeller planes, the Constellation, and the shock of flying on the first commercial jet, the 707. Everything so close in a snap of fingers.

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    1. Flying the Constellation is impressive! I have only seen that in documentaries! But I have been on plenty of DC4’s and 707s. I even flew on a brand new Airbus A380 with Lufthansa back in 2010. The plane’s very first flight. Had the Senator class upstairs, not that I was allowed up there, being an economy passenger! I do remember it took over an hour for all passengers to board and that was with German efficiency!
      Funny how you experienced reverse culture shock. It must be like that for many foreign students who gain scholarships in Western countries. What did you struggle with most?

      Liked by 1 person

      1. “Connie” was a very nice plane. You do have an impressive flight record. The A380 was too big. Ages to board.
        Struggle most? The total tunnel vision and short-sightedness of the French. I.e. an utter disregard for the outside world. No curiosity whatsoever as to what was happening or how things were done outside our tiny little borders. Plus a good bit of psychorigidity. Which is still going on… LOL

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  35. French psychorigidity and Xenophobia, hey Brian? Maybe tourists to France should be made aware of this before they travel to Paree?! I think the tunnel vision you noted, is a shame for the French. They might even benefit from ideas that come from elsewhere. Perhaps this accounts for that reputation of being snobs!?? No doubt they do have outside influences anyway purely from the sheer number of people that want to gravitate there to study, live,work create and play?

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  36. Fantastic read! I always tell people to work with the anxiety than against it, like if worried about missing your flight get the really early and sit by the gate to get kind settled 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  37. Hi Amanda
    It sounds like your first trip was really interesting and I like how you added in tips and quotes!
    Cheers to traveling and overcoming any fears that could hinder going or enjoying the trip once underway

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thanks sweet Yvette! Travel is amazing and although I don’t do so much now I am very glad to have been able to do it safely and happily! I think of the people who are forced to flee – due to war or famine. That kind of travel is not so attractive, I imagine! How are things at your end?

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      1. We have that in common with much less travel for me too (even though most of mine was to see family and was working the states)
        Things here are nice – thanks for checking
        Oh and you are so right about feeling bad for those that have to “flee” and relocate not By their choosing!
        Prayers for the dissolved
        🙏😊☀️

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Jona, Sorry for the late reply. I had to rescue your comment from the spam folder! You mentioned your first trip was filled with horror. I do hope it turned out okay. I agree some of the immigration officials are very intimidating. Where did you go on that first trip?

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  39. Pingback: Travel Anxiety – Lively Co Travel

  40. Hi Amanda- I loved reading this post. I think it is beautiful that you travelled to Nepal with the intention of opening your eyes to the world. Travel really does have that special way of inspiring gratitude in us for the lives that we have.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Laura and it is kind of you to remark on my post. I so agree with you that travel has a special way of inspiring gratitude for the lives that we have, if you have a mindset to appreciate the differences. Some travellers seem to think it is a bucket list that needs to be ticked off. I did Cinque terra last year and Spain the year before…. I think they miss the point, don’t they? Aussies are great world travellers but some miss the point. Where are you situated?

      Liked by 1 person

      3. I hope you have the chance to visit someday- it really is a stunning island. I would love to know the name of the blogger you mentioned so that I can follow them! 😊

        Liked by 1 person

  41. I’ve been planning on writing on the subject of travel anxiety. I get value out of travel from the experiences and understand that it’s good for me, but I hate leaving home and worrying about everything that needs taking care of in my absence.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. When you have a household to care and maintain, travel is always an issue. I disliked paying rent while I was on holidays. Thankfully I have a husband who doesn’t like travel and is happy to stay home and mind the fort while I travel. It might not be ideal but it works. Ping me when you post your piece about travel anxiety, Tracey.

      Liked by 2 people

  42. I would say/advise people should stay away from the companies like Tairs Worldwide, who are involved in many ponzi schemes to fraud people on the name if travel and tourism.

    Liked by 1 person

  43. My first International travel destination was Greece in 2018. I have been travelling since then and I was never nervous. But post covid, I am nervous even for a domestic trip. The ever changing covid rules had left me shaken. So thoughts it’s my 12th or 13th foreign trip, I was nervous for Austria trip in July 2022 – What if they make me take swob test. I have no symptoms, but what if I get positive results ? What if I get locked in that country ! My god. This thing stressed me out a lot -post covid travel is stressful. I need more time to adjust I guess!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. The different rules I a part covid world make travelling to multiple destinations tricky. One good thing is that they are slowly relaxing. Let’s hope they continue. We have to be ready for anything when we travel.

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  45. Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather they are two contradictory components, and we need to adjust them wisely according to the situation we face to arrive at the balance of our character.

    Landious Travel

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  46. Hi, My name is Melanie. I am still a teenager and my parents are still heavily involved in my life (even though I moved out of the house). Everytime I start to talk about travelling, alone or in a small group of women, they get so worried (They are my parents, so It makes sense.). But it’s so much that I have started to feel anxious. I feel like I’m scared and that I don’t know what to do in preparation or when I get there, but I also feel like I need to do it. For myself, to develop and become more independed. But, what if something does happen? What if I did something wrong in my preparation? What if my parents don’t allow it? Because people keep telling me I’m an adult now and I can do things without my parents approval, But I still want their approval, that’s not weird right? Also, Travelling now keeps getting more expensive, how do I make sure I’m not over or under spending?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Melanie, you ask many questions and I am afraid that my answers may not suit your circumstances as I don’t know you or your family. I can only go on what I feel is right for you, given what you have told me. Take from this and any advice given to you, what sounds reasonable and right in your gut, discard the rest. Regarding your parent’s concerns, it is natural and if you are an adult, you can decide what you want to do, but it is kind to respect your parent’s wishes. Having said that, I do feel that it is a lesson for them also, to let ‘go’ and allow you to become independent. There are ways to soften that blow for them and for you. You can take short trips together with them or one of them, gradually taking more and more responsibility to do the arrangements and the organization of the trip. Perhaps there they would feel more confident in you going on a short trip alone, or if that is too hard, with a trusted friend.
      Do your research so that you have contingency plans if something goes wrong. Have copies of all your documents with you in your suitcase or securely online in case your personal effects are stolen or go missing. Have travel insurance and keep the numbers of your travel embassy and other emergency numbers on your phone and a hard copy in your bag. Have all suitcases labelled in case they go missing in transit. All these things can make travelling smoother and lessen anxiety. A small travel pack of medicines for travel sickness, headaches, diarrhoea etc is also wise to carry. Start out small and safe destination wise and then branch out. Knowing you have covered all bases will lessen your anxiety and postive experiences will give you and your parents confidence. Having sais that, expect that something might go wrong but that you will handle it. Good luck! Let me know how you get on.

      Liked by 1 person

  47. Great content !!!!

    But I want to make your ware about the crooks like Attilio Perna who could fraud the people with so ease by giving them their pozie travelling scehemes.

    Liked by 1 person

  49. Such a great post. I’m heading out on a big solo travel adventure next year and am certainly feeling some anxiety about it – despite having travelled lots and studied abroad this will be the biggest thing I’ve ever done alone… any advice?

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    1. Expect the unexpected and have several contingencies. Plans will be disrupted from time to time by factors outside your control. Try to be observant and notice EVERYTHING – that way the trip will stay in your memory for longer. When you travel for an extended period, the prolonged stimulation can result in overload of the senses. Take time out between destinations to relax. Good luck!

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