Traveling solo can be one of the most empowering and transformative experiences of your life, but your mindset can make or break your journey. How you approach your adventures can shape everything from the people you meet to the memories you create. In this article, I’ll share three powerful ways your mindset can impact your travels and help you make the most out of every trip.
Have you ever gone on a trip and everything was amazing – until one person – complaining about the food, the service, the view from her window which just wasn’t what was promised online – just totally killed the vibe?
The truth is, mindset actually has a HUGE impact on the overall experience you have in life – but especially when traveling.
Imagine this: your trip is booked, and your bag is packed. But you’re a little anxious about going to new places and trying new things. Maybe you like the comforts of home (and there’s NOTHING wrong with that!) – but if you’re going to a new place, you better not bring your ‘comfortable’ mindset along with you.
Travel experiences are not merely about the destination. Your attitudes, expectations, and, quite frankly “readiness” can profoundly shape the vibe of your trip. The truth? Travel is as much an internal exploration as it is an external one.
How Your Mindset Can Transform Your Solo Travel Experience: 3 Essential Tips
Here are a couple of key moments many female travelers like you could stumble into, and how to give yourself a little attitude adjustment – so you can keep having the time of your life.
Mindset #1: Everything Will Work Itself Out
One of the most common inconveniences that happen while traveling is lost luggage. You land in an exciting new place and go to collect your bags – except, they aren’t there. You wait for what seems like forever, but they never come. You ask customer service, and they tell you your bags can’t be located.
At this point, you’re probably pretty pissed off – maybe even panicked. Like, how could this happen to me? I need my friggin stuff!
Your carefully compiled outfits (and a couple of new items you bought especially for this adventure) are gone – your spirits are low, you’re not sure what the heck to do next and you almost want to go home.
There’s a big moment here that can either make or break your trip. You either lean into the chaos or you resist it. And whichever direction you choose will have a big impact on not only the experience you have but also the way you remember this trip forever.
Imagine instead – you take a deep breath and start to think about what you really need – if the airline will compensate you, where you can replace the most essential items.
You change your mindset – opening up possibilities for everything to work itself out.
Mindset #2: It’s Okay To Be An Outsider (um, you are one)
Imagine you’re in a place you’ve dreamed of traveling to for years. It’s your first night out, you dress up and decide to take yourself out for dinner.
The waiter gives you the menu, says a couple of things in whatever native language is spoken around there – and you open up the menu looking for English translations.
There are none. You ask, in English – for an English menu and the waiter doesn’t understand you. You try again, using hand motions and pointing and speaking louder, enunciating all of the syllables. He stares at you blankly.
People are looking. Now you’re feeling embarrassed – how could I have thought coming to Turkey alone was a good idea….
Look, you’re not alone. It can feel scary to put yourself out there – especially when things go wrong. You’re feeling insecure outside of your comfort zone and on top of that, now you feel a little stupid.
But the truth is – that’s what traveling is about. You’re GOING to feel silly. You’re going to feel lost. You’re going to feel uncomfortable…
It’s how you handle it that matters.
You take a deep breath, smile – then pull out your phone and start using a translator to figure out what’s for dinner.
And you know what –? We’re willing to bet the next time you watch someone struggle to order in your own home country, you’re going to feel a lot more compassion and understanding.
Mindset #3: Intention not expectation
If you walk into a trip with a ton of expectations, you’re going to be disappointed – we pretty much guarantee it.
Maybe the hotel isn’t quite as *stunning* as the photos. Maybe the cleaning staff forgot to wipe your mirror or left trash in the can. And maybe at home that would feel kind of gross or unacceptable – but the truth is, when you bring your at-home expectations into your not-at-home travels – the only person you hurt is yourself.
Sometimes going with the flow and seeing the situation for what it is (like a minor setback or totally fixable issue) – is the growth you were actually looking for.
If you leave a new place more kind, patient, or open-minded than when you arrived – that’s the real win. That’s the real experience.
So we challenge you to set an intention – not an expectation. A ‘let’s see what happens’ over a bucket list.
Final Thoughts: How Your Mindset Shapes Your Travel Experience
(okay you A-types, within reason!)
It doesn’t mean you can’t be prepared. It doesn’t mean you can’t do as much as humanly possible to avoid mishaps and bummers – it means that when they (inevitably) happen and nothing is in your control – you remember that your mindset is.
We have heard so many stories where women like you have had big moments that could make or break the trip – and all of those moments actually came down to mindset. You get to choose the narrative of your experience. You get to choose the narrative of your life.
