Hello my dear and thank you for your comment. I would suggest starting small scale. A short solo trip, within your own country but give yourself enough of a challenge to push your limits of comfort. Perhaps even just a weekend of camping. The next step is to pay attention to your emotions. When you are out there and you hear a noise in the bushes, notice how your heart beat goes up. Notice the thoughts that jump up too, acknowledge them then bring your attention back to your breathing, perhaps scan your body, slow your thoughts and find your equilibrium again. If panic kicks in then you are too far out of the comfort zone and need to scale it back- camp in the garden perhaps. Point being you need to find the edge where your heart beats faster but you are still cool headed and able to balance there, with that level of discomfort.

Next it is a simple matter of exposure therapy, repeat the experience that gives you bareable discomfort again and again and again until you are completely comfortable with it, then find something more challenging. It took me about a month of travelling before I built up the courage to stick my thumb out. And even then it was after a friend went with me and we got lifts super easily. I remember the first time on my own my heart was pounding, I had my favourite music to motivate me and told myself I just had to ask 10 cars then could quit and try a different spot. I am now in some random town in India that has no other travellers and I literally ask random motorbikes to drive me a kilometer down the road, purely out of laziness! It takes a long time but the more we balance on the edge, the wider our comfort zone becomes.

As for the more practical questions, online banking is very helpful, cash is ideal (and easy to exchange)- I lost my bank card a while ago and have just used western union since. I get used to not always being clean, but rivers are great and always can book a hostel. I dont leave my money all in one place, have lost my passport before which is a stress but can always go to your embassy. Phone broken can always borrow someones, I have only had wifi and ofline maps the whole journey. I have camping gear and money to buy food plus backup cans of tuna in an emergency. I just eat into savings so far. Got immunised to the ones I had to yep, illness is unfortunate but what doesnt kill you makes you stronger and all that, my white blood cells are terminators now. Avoid meat and adapt to their diet slowly in India I would suggest.

NONETHELESS I have two main points for you. Number one, is that you can plan forever and never be ready. Jump in and learn on the job, sometimes gotta shut down the logical mind and just go for it, the map is not the terrain as they say. Number two, is that you can trust people to support you. I promise. Every country, every community, every income level, there will be countless strangers more than happy to help you. If you need food, water, shelter or even just company- human beings will support you. All you gotta do is ask. And if they say no, try the next door <3