Planning my first solo trip

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”

– Neale Donald Walsch

I am kicking off the new decade by planning a three and a half week long trip through Asia, visiting Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. Half of my trip will be spent traveling solo, which is super exciting but also nerve-racking. To combat my worries, I’ve been intensely studying about traveling through Korea and Japan, reading many other travel blogs and drooling over food videos on Youtube.

The Countdown

All in all, I’ll be spending a week in Korea (solo), 4.5 days in Taiwan (with my dad), and 11 days in Japan (about half solo, half with a group). The cities I’ll be visiting is as follows:

• South Korea
  • Seoul
  • Jeonju
  • Busan
• Taiwan
  • Taipei
• Japan
  • Osaka
  • Kanazawa
  • Shirakawa-go
  • Takayama
  • Nagoya
  • Kyoto
  • Tokyo

The real question is, why am I traveling through Asia at this time? Winter isn’t the best time for traveling, and although I’m somewhat used to cold winters from my time studying in Boston, I’m not a fan of freezing temperatures, which Korea and parts of Japan will be suffering from. However, earlier this semester, I got the chance to participate in a program offered at my university called “Innovation Discover Japan” or IDJ for short. The program brings students to visit different companies throughout Japan. I thought this was an interesting opportunity, and since I already booked flights to Asia, why not extend the trip and visit other countries?

I chose to visit Korea because it’s been high on my to-visit list for awhile, and it’s really close to Japan. By the time I realized it was freezing in the winters there, I already had set my heart on visiting the country and didn’t want to back out. I ended up sliding in Taiwan because my dad had a business trip there, giving me a chance to crash at his hotel. I loved Taiwan last time I went, and am super excited to visit more of the country this time. Finally, I ended up adding a couple days at the beginning of my Japan trip because the prices of flights from Taiwan to Japan soared around Lunar New Year (which is on 1/25 this year, a day before I have to meet up for IDJ). Flying a couple days earlier was cheaper, so I snuck in an extra visit to the alpine region of Japan.

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Travel Worries

As the date of my first flight draws nearer, I’m definitely getting more and more nervous for my trip. When I was first planning this trip, I was also being hosed by school work, so I only laid down the most basic plans. I didn’t have the extra energy to be worried.

However, now, sitting at home with nothing much to do over winter break, I have had plenty of time to plan and worry over each detail of my trip. What if my checked luggage gets lost during transit? What if I didn’t pack enough clothes and am freezing? Will I be able to see everything I want to? Will I be able to navigate the public transportation easily?

No matter what, these worries will always be there, but by doing intensive research, I’ve managed to get them under control. Knowing what I’ll face once I stepped into a new country makes the new experience seem less intimidating. Mapping out estimated time to travel between locations and reading up on different itineraries that others have created has given me a better understanding of how I can pace my travels, and what I can feasibly see during my time in a country.

Now with the clock ticking closer and closer to when I take off, I take a deep breath, double check my bookings, and get ready to pack my bags for my adventure .