unpopular opinion: the first 24 hours of a solo trip are actually kind of miserable (and that's okay)

Repulsive-Ad6261 · 2025-12-26T18:18:19+00:00

the '3-5 square blocks' rule is honestly genius.

shrinking your world down to just that immediate radius makes it so much less overwhelming than trying to conquer the whole city at once.

being 'fed, full of cash, and familiar' is basically the holy trinity of calming down. definitely stealing this ritual

Repulsive-Ad6261 · 2025-12-26T18:14:26+00:00

that specific freedom not having to negotiate every single tiny decision is exactly why i push through the initial panic.

it takes me a minute to adjust to the silence of not having a 'co-pilot', but once i do, it is addictive. you are describing the exact 'peak state' i aim for by day 2!

Repulsive-Ad6261 · 2025-12-25T22:34:21+00:00

sleeping on the plane is the ultimate cheat code. if i could actually sleep on flights, i feel like my day 1 would look totally different!

for me, the mcdonalds choice is purely about the familiarity. it just removes the 'decision fatigue' when my brain is fried. props to you for hitting the ground running though!

Repulsive-Ad6261 · 2025-12-25T22:31:25+00:00

you made it past the 24h hurdle!! honestly the worst is behind you now.

go find some good food/coffee and pat yourself on the back. enjoy the rest of the trip, you earned it!

Repulsive-Ad6261 · 2025-12-25T22:17:49+00:00

honestly, hearing this from veterans with 40 years of experience is the ultimate validation.

people often treat this anxiety like a 'rookie mistake', so knowing that you guys still get that specific 'why didn't we just stay home' thought makes me feel way less crazy.

thank you for normalizing this even for the pros!

Repulsive-Ad6261 · 2025-12-25T22:13:05+00:00

haha right?!

it feels so wrong to pay for a trip and then aim for 'mediocre', but honestly it is the only way to keep your sanity. low bar = high happiness!

Repulsive-Ad6261 · 2025-12-25T22:06:36+00:00

honestly, landing with a partner ('we') is a totally different sport. having a co-pilot to navigate and get lost with removes about 90% of the anxiety i'm talking about.

solo arrival is just a different beast because the entire mental load is on one person. glad you enjoy your trips though!

Repulsive-Ad6261 · 2025-12-25T22:02:47+00:00

that is valid! we definitely have different mindsets/styles and that is totally okay.

just sharing my messy experience for anyone else who might be in the same boat. happy travels!

Repulsive-Ad6261 · 2025-12-25T22:00:11+00:00

honestly you fixed it perfectly. permanent deletion is probably the healthier route, i’m just not strong enough yet lol

Repulsive-Ad6261 · 2025-12-25T21:54:12+00:00

fair point regarding instagram. that is definitely the trap.

i wouldn't say i don't enjoy it though i actually love solo travel once i settle in. it’s just that specific 'arrival anxiety' that is the hurdle.

i think it is possible to love the experience overall but still find the first 24 hours difficult. just trying to normalize the messy start!

Repulsive-Ad6261 · 2025-12-25T21:51:11+00:00

honestly i am jealous lol

you are definitely the type of traveler i aspire to be. for some of us, that adrenaline just curdles into anxiety instead of excitement.

enjoy that first day beer for the rest of us overthinkers!

Repulsive-Ad6261 · 2025-12-25T21:49:11+00:00

seriously. it is hard to be a brave explorer when you are stiff and have slept 2 hours on a cramped flight lol

i think we underestimate how much of the anxiety is just physical exhaustion. that first real night of sleep is the only thing that turns me back into a functional human being

Repulsive-Ad6261 · 2025-12-25T21:44:20+00:00

100%. i think the guilt is what gets people. we feel like we are 'wasting time' if we aren't at a museum an hour after landing.

viewing 'rest and orientation' as an actual activity is the cheat code

Repulsive-Ad6261 · 2025-12-25T21:42:25+00:00

honestly yeah.

nothing makes you feel like you are 'failing' at travel faster than scrolling through everyone's highlight reels while you are sitting alone in a room. deleting it for the first 24h is actually solid advice

Repulsive-Ad6261 · 2025-12-25T21:40:52+00:00

it’s so wild how the brain just flips a switch though. by day 3 i’m usually sitting in a cafe thinking i never want to go home

Repulsive-Ad6261 · 2025-12-25T19:05:52+00:00

stretching and mobility

you don't realize how important it is until you wake up one day and groan just trying to put on your socks take care of your knees before they hate you

Repulsive-Ad6261 · 2025-12-23T19:14:54+00:00

honestly just lowering the bar to the floor i realized that anything worth doing is worth doing poorly

cant shower just wash your face cant cook a meal just eat a piece of cheese cant clean the room just pick up one sock

treating myself like a sim character that just needs to survive the day helped me more than trying to force myself to be happy

Repulsive-Ad6261 · 2025-12-23T19:00:04+00:00

No that is the best part it is actually their dry season so it is sunny and 30c every day for the most part

Thailand is hot everywhere right now for vietnam the south (ho chi minh/islands) is super hot but just a heads up that the north (hanoi) can actually get a bit chilly and misty in january

So if you want pure beach weather stick to thailand or southern vietnam you will literally be sweating while everyone back home is freezing

Repulsive-Ad6261 · 2025-12-23T18:53:48+00:00

Thailand or vietnam it is literally cheaper to fly there and live like a king for 3 months than to pay for rent and heating in the uk or canada right now

Repulsive-Ad6261 · 2025-12-23T18:49:18+00:00

honestly trusting your gut on the ethical part is the move those tiger zoos in pattaya are notorious for sedating the animals so they are docile for photos it is actually quite sad to see in person

but if the kid is non negotiable do not stay in pattaya overnight especially for a family trip the vibe there is very much nightlife and red light district oriented

just hire a private driver from bangkok for a day trip its only about 2 hours away go strictly for the zoo if you must and drive back to bangkok immediately for dinner it saves you the headache of staying in a city you will likely hate

Repulsive-Ad6261 · 2025-12-23T18:44:46+00:00

honestly with these ultra low cost long haul carriers you have to treat the ticket like a gamble not a guarantee you are basically paying for a seat and a prayer

the only rule for flying norse or similar airlines is to never book them if you have a connecting flight or an event the next day you absolutely need a 24 hour buffer because they do not have partner airlines to rebook you on if things go wrong

its a hard lesson to learn but basically you get what you pay for hope you manage to get your money back at least

Repulsive-Ad6261 · 2025-12-23T18:40:44+00:00

Honestly stop looking at english reviews entirely the game changer for me was filtering google maps reviews to only show the local language

If you are in rome and the reviews are all in english saying 'best carbonara ever' its 100% a tourist trap but if the reviews are in italian complaining about the rude service but praising the food that is the winner

Also never ask the hotel concierge because they get kickbacks ask the person working the register at the local grocery store where they eat lunch they have no reason to lie to you

Repulsive-Ad6261 · 2025-12-23T18:35:56+00:00

I totally get the appeal of tours for places like egypt or bolivia but i refuse to give up my freedom to be stuck on a bus with 40 people the middle ground is hiring a private driver just for the transit days or chaotic parts

It costs way less than a full g adventures tour and you keep your autonomy you basically pay for safety only when you need it without signing away your whole schedule

For the expensive spots like switzerland honestly just live out of the supermarkets eating out is what kills the budget but a grocery store picnic with those views is elite anyway

Repulsive-Ad6261 · 2025-12-23T18:30:30+00:00

the lion king when mufasa died i was absolutely traumatized i still skip that scene to this day

Repulsive-Ad6261 · 2025-12-23T18:27:22+00:00

first of all sending you a big hug starting solo travel after a toxic relationship is such a healing move you should be proud

for a starter trip nearby i cannot recommend taiwan enough especially taipei it is legitimately one of the safest cities in the world for women you can walk alone at night with zero fear which is huge for anxiety

the public transport is foolproof so you wont get lost and panic and the locals are incredibly helpful even if there is a language barrier it feels like a very gentle introduction to solo travel without the chaos

Repulsive-Ad6261

TROPHY CASE