Think about your type of trip
If you want to spend two weeks camping in the wilderness and not seeing another soul, you can do that. If you want to live in the middle of a bustling, busy city for a while, you can do that too.
But you don’t have to stick to one or the other – there are plenty of cities, like London, within easy reach of countryside, meaning you can take a couple of days in the middle of your trip to recharge in the clean, quiet air before returning to the city.
Similarly, pitching a tent in the woods doesn’t mean you can’t also visit a nearby town, spend the night in a proper bed and enjoy food you can’t cook on a camping stove.
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Invest in what matters
Do you need peace and quiet at the end of the day? Then trying to save cash by staying in a dorm is not going to pay off. Does the thought of being stuck in a confined space with the same people for hours give you hives? Then consider upgrading that long-distance train ticket, or even flying.
It may seem extravagant, but if the cost of not doing it is that you have no energy to enjoy the rest of your day, isn’t a little strategic spending worth it?
Push your boundaries, but be flexible
A big part of travelling is pushing your boundaries. It may feel comfortable to keep to yourself, but there are so many things to try when you’re in a new place that it would be a shame to miss out.
That said, you’re in control of what you do, and it’s important to listen to what your mind is telling you. Maybe you did plan on going to that one-day food festival, but if you wake up and can’t face the crowds, don’t give yourself a hard time. You have plenty of alternatives, and you can always go for something more low-key, or something you can leave if you need a bit of time to yourself.
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Focus on the interactions you enjoy
Being on the road is a great way to meet different types of people and maybe even form lasting friendships – for introverts and extroverts. It pays to give a bit of thought, though, to what sort of interactions you find most sustaining.
Do you want to spend most of your time alone, and enjoy lots of fleeting interactions and opportunities to observe a different way of life? Then maybe you’d enjoy renting a private apartment or hotel room, meeting people organically as you go about your day in the knowledge that you have a quiet, private place to return to when you feel like it.
Or would you rather see fewer people, but forge a deeper connection with them? Then you may prefer a homestay or farm stay, which offers you a chance to see how people really live there and get to know someone a little better.