This year has been quite an interesting one for me. I followed my dream of becoming a yoga teacher and that led me to my first year of traveling consistently over the past few months. Keep reading for my top 8 tips for traveling alone.
- Have your car checked out first. Seriously. My first trip to Long Island, New York taught me many lessons. The biggest is, be sure to have your car’s fluids, tires, and everything checked out before you hit the road. I failed to do so my first time and 3 hours into a 9 hour drive I realized that was a grave mistake. I ended up just needing air in the tires but lets just say #lessonlearned.
- Write down important addresses prior to leaving. I did do this and it immensely helped me when my phone stopped working HALFWAY through the trip. Talk about scary, I ended up being lost in the Bronx at midnight but by the grace of God I have a car with GPS built in and I was able to navigate without my phone.
- Drop all expectations and enjoy the trip. As a recovering perfectionist who loved planning to the T and losing it when things went cattywompus, I’ve learned to drop the expectations and enjoy the trip. I feel this made my second trip to Long Island a lot smoother. You’re in a new place, soak it in and enjoy.
- Take pictures! Just like the tip above, enjoy the moment by taking pictures to help remember this new adventure. As funny as it may be, I like taking pictures of my toes in the sand when I’m at the beach because seeing it instantly takes me back.
- Make time for rest stops. It can be easy to think driving with no rest stops is easy, however I learned it’s not. By the end of a long trip without stops you could feel hungry, dehydrated, and tired. I took more rest stops during the 2nd trip to Long Island. Take the few extra minutes to stretch out and give your body a break. It makes for a much happier road trip.
- Try to stay hydrated and eat clean (most of the time). I was so blessed to go to a training where everyone ate similarly so it was very easy to stick to awesome eating habits. I did enjoy a few amazing burgers and yummy treats I’ve found. Traveling in itself can be a stress factor to the body, it’s a great idea to keep your body healthy by eating clean and staying hydrated by drink lots of water. Try new things and don’t forget to #treatyoself
- Check for reviews. This goes for hotels and Air BnB. Take the spare minutes and do research on the place you’ll be staying. When booking with Air BnB always choose a Super Host, trust me. I’ve done my research and had amazing place. I also didn’t do my research because I was rushing and payed for it in the end.
- Stay in contact with a loved one. Family, friend, or both. Keep in touch with someone during the trip to help calm the jitters and help you feel safe. I was blessed to have my family and friends check on me during all my trips and it felt good. This also can come in help to if you end up in a sticky situation and need out fast. I have some amazing friends that helped me in my time of need.
Hopefully these tips come in handy for your next road trip. Remember to enjoy the moment and have fun! What was your first road trip? Share in the comments below and share this post for anyone you know who may be traveling soon! Safe travels! <3
