As I left home and headed to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to board my 5:54pm Delta flight to Brussels, Belgium before taking a train to my final destination of Maastricht, Netherlands, I was both excited and anxious. I was excited because ever since I got the amazing opportunity to travel to Europe (London, Amsterdam, and Paris) with a group of friends (and my mom) when I was 17 I have really wanted to go back and experience new cities in Europe. On the other hand, I was anxious because this was my time flying solo. Traveling with others, I have tended to rely on different people for different things. My sister would usually handle the map because she’s good at navigation while my mom would smooth out any ordeals because she’s an excellent problem solver. When traveling solo, however, I was responsible for it all: reading the map, navigating local transportation, communicating through language barriers, problem solving when I miss my train, getting un-lost in unfamiliar cities, and any travel mishap in between. Thus, there was the daunting realization that since I was traveling solo there would be nobody there to rely on for money, to watch my luggage when I go to the bathroom, or to show me the way if I got lost. It was all up to me. Nevertheless, I kept an open mind throughout the experience. I know that traveling solo will force me to interact with locals, so I need to remind myself that it is okay to ask for help and that when I’m traveling solo on my weekend trips, independence isn’t something I have to try to attain. The more I figure things out, the more independent I will naturally become.
Preparing For This Trip
To ease my anxiety I took an extensive amount of time to fully prepare for my trip by researching top weekend travel destinations near Maastricht, arranging and organizing all my important travel paperwork (passport photocopies, itineraries, emergency contact information, etc.), and making a running list of everything I would need while overseas from necessities such as clothes, shoes, toiletries, passport, Eurail pass, phone, laptop, money, etc. to accessories such as a travel sized hair dryer, hostel and backpack travel locks, travel towel, adaptors/ converters, and phone and laptop chargers.
Since I will be taking my first solo excursions, I knew it would be important to take a few extra precautions to ensure my travels not only go smoothly but also safely. The following are products I bought to prevent any compromising situations I may (unfortunately) encounter as a solo female traveler.
- Personal Alarm
- Peper Spray
- Travel Locks
- First Aid Kit
- Anti-Theft Cross Body Bag
Additionally, I bought three DK EyeWitness Travel Books: The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, and Germany. Packed with photographs, illustrations, and maps these travel books provided me with a breakdown of the countries by region and offered an extensive selection of Hotels and restaurants. It also included major sights, beaches, markets, and festivals listed town by town along with walks, scenic routes, and thematic tours and tailor-made itineraries to help me make the most of my stays on free weekends.
Sarah's European Voyage 