I have a little confession to make: I’m a worried traveller. I get that kind of nervous, sick feeling in my stomach whenever I book a new trip: what if I don’t like it there? what if they don’t like me? what if something bad happens? It’s just part of my nature, because I’m a worrier. I’d say recent changes in my lifestyle (like running this community as a full-time job, for example) has changed my perspective quite a bit, and I now try to only worry about the things that I have control over. I’m still a nervous traveller though, but despite that I still work up the confidence to hit the road. All the time. I think that everyone deserves a break, so I’d like to share my own personal tips on I try to travel with confidence.
Beyond Medicines and Passports, You Really Can Buy Whatever You Forgot
I tend to check through my bags obsessively before I leave, and then whenever I am changing hotels during a trip I do it again – god forbid I forget anything. (And do I loose things even after all that obsessing? Yes. Happens to everybody.) Reality is that in 99.999% of the cases, you can buy whatever it is you forgot, beyond specialised medicines and your passport. And even then, in a true emergency, I’m sure those can be replaced as well. So, travel with confidence: if you forgot something, so what?
What’s the worst that could happen? You’re probably safer on the road.
If you’re American, your biggest chance of death is in a car accident – so yes, technically you are far more at risk driving to the airport than at any other point in your journey. (Perhaps its a good idea to buy a cheap life insurance before embarking on your trip.) And if you’re a worried traveller, you probably are not booking trips to Afghanistan, though as that link proves even war-torn places are safer than you think.
Often the worst thing you have to fear is pickpockets, but in a few places there is a more serious risk. That’s easy to find out – Google will normally give you an un-biased answer. Travel with confidence: you are going to be ok.
Knowledge is Power
Along similar lines to the above, nervous travellers thrive on knowledge, because in this case, knowledge really is power. Get a guidebook and pour through it. Or book through the STE travel concierge and let Donna tell you everything you need to know (after all, it seems she’s been everywhere!). But you’ll feel better about yourself and about the trip by arming yourself with some knowledge. Besides, it is always nice to be the one who knows where the best coffee is as well as knowing how to not get ripped off at the local market. 
Travel with confidence: all these new, scary experiences are going to be fun and exciting. Enjoy the adrenalin.
Go with your gut – it’s almost always right.
Does a situation feel not-quite-right? Having an unsafe feeling in a place? Take a minute and ask your gut: is this just nervous reaction to a new environment or a genuine fear? If you ask your gut that, it will always give you an honest answer. And if it feels unsafe, it probably is – humans have survived this long on instincts, so trust them because our ancestors got this far because of them. Travel with confidence because you already have the one thing you need to have a safe and fabulous trip: your brain.
So, what are you afraid of?
Make this year the year to travel more. What are you afraid of? Eleanor Roosevelt says the following in her book, You Learn by Living:
You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, “I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.“…You must do the thing you think you cannot do.
I hope you aren’t so terrified of travel that you would call it a ‘horror,’ but I hope these tips on travel with confidence have helped you re-evaluate your travel fears. They’ve certainly helped mine.
Are you a nervous traveller? What do you do to make your trips more enjoyable?
Photo by Royal New Zealand Navy
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Good article, Andy! 99.9% of the time, the things we fear don’t come true, so why do we worry so much? At any rate, you’re right, there are ways to push past the worry or the fear and go anyway.
Travel seems to be the best therapy for me. That is indeed a good quote about fear. Being able to say things like “I’ve dealt with unhappy border control guards at 2am speaking funny languages”, how can this current thing I’ve dealing with be frightening really.
Yep – travelling more really does build confidence. We’ve found it’s made us fearless in so many ways …
This article is right on! I am also a nervous traveller – I’m not always worrying, but when it comes to security and what ifs, they’re always on my mind. Your points are all excellent, but I also think overall you just have to accept that a reasonable amount of fear when travelling is ok and you just have to give yourself time to overcome it. Great ideas!
When I’m flipping on the way out the door, my husband, Dave, always says: “passport, major credit card, prescription medications.” I am now the very confident owner of a collection of socks and underwear from several countries. Great article, Andy!
Great article, Andy. I don’t think we ever were nervous about traveling but it certainly calms us that, no matter what we forget, we can pick it up elsewhere.
This was really helpful for me so thank you so much. I’m going travelling for the first time in a week and have got that last minute terror! Your tips helped me put everything in perspective so thanks again.
Wow – thanks everyone, this is one powerful bunch of people right here. Fearless, in fact, as Julie says. And Lauren – your trip is going to be AWESOME. We all are waiting to hear how it goes
I admit I am someone who gets nervous with the idea of travel, but I have to keep that from making my decisions for me. Being scared isn’t a reason to stay home.
Andy, I love how you set this post up. I used to be that person you speak of–the worrier. There’s still a little part of her in me, but not much. When she was full on, she worried I’d left the stove on or the curling iron plugged, or that I didn’t turn off my computer. She’d worry that I’d forget my ID and not be able to get on the plane. She’d worry that my luggage would get lost, and on and on and on.
All that finally stopped when I became more aware of the silly stories she was telling me. Now I’m more apt to say: So what? I like it better that way.
Andy
Useful article, especially the advice about trusting your instincts. Usually we are taught to ignore that inner voice (or gut) instead of paying attention to whatever message it is sending us.
I am also a worried traveller, but I reckon that frisson of anxiety/fear is all part of the experience of setting off somewhere new, so I try to value it in that spirit.
Being nervous about going somewhere new is part of the excitement of travel for me.
I love to remember the first few moments of arriving somewhere new before places, people and voices become familiar. When everything seems exciting, full of possibilites and a little scary all at the same time.
I also always check the holy trinity of passport, money, tickets before i leave at least half a dozen times.