Going solo somewhere - a worthy experience

Ooh, this is something interesting that I have been waiting to share with you guys! Alright, so in high school, apart from focusing in your education as well as pursuing other things like volunteering or doing extracurricular activities, it is also one of those very prime times of our life for us to enjoy it - high school is that time where you have become more mature while still not having to care too much about our future (like what food will we eat today), so essentially we can do whatever we want without being constrained too much. Whereas I really recommend hanging out with your friends, sometimes going solo somewhere is actually a very fun option, too! Personally, I do travel sometimes (either to just calm myself down whenever I’m feeling a bit stressed out, or just to entertain myself whenever I have some free time), and I strongly believe that there are a lot of benefits from doing so, especially that when you’re traveling alone, you can be proactive with your schedule, and that you can go whenever you want and do whatever you like. For example, whenever there is fall break or spring break and no one is home, all I need to do is to pack up some things and go on a short trip around the city! Because of this, today, I would like to share with you guys some tips that you can take if you are thinking of going solo, so that with careful planning and consideration, you can turn this into a memorable experience. Note that today, I’m talking about going on a small trip during the day, but if you are planning to go on a trip for several days, a lot more consideration is going to be needed.

First of all, do some planning please! Do some research online of what you want to do and where you want to go - if you need some recommendation of some interesting places or interesting restaurants, you can go on social media and see what people recommend! Typically, when sketching out my plan, I would put everything into a google docs or a small note of places I want to visit. This way, you can ensure yourself that all the time you are going outside is going to be spent efficiently! Additionally, just in order to prepare yourself in case some places are closed unexpectedly, make a plan B - ideally, this should be somewhere just as interesting but that it is nearby (so that you won’t have to commute far in case you have to use plan B). 

Next up, prepare what you want to bring during your trip. Down below are some things that I definitely would like to recommend you guys to bring:

• Money: bring some money for transportation costs, food, shopping, or other purposes. Don’t bring too much money though - there is a high chance that you are going to overspend more money than you initially thought, and additionally be prepared in case there is theft.

• A phone: a phone is also very essential when it comes to things to bring on your little trip. By having a phone by your side, 1) you can always call someone in case there is some emergency, and 2) you can take some pictures when you are going outside!

• A small bag: try to bring a small bag there, because you definitely will need a space for you to store things, right? This is especially true when you are planning to go shopping - you can put everything in that place so that your hands can be handy all the time you’re out there visiting different places.

• A journal and a pen: just a bonus thing, but if you are like me and you want to record the memories while being there, try to bring your small journal on the way, as well as a pen. This way, every place you go, you can journal your observations while being there, as well as noting down things that you find interesting. This way, whenever you want to think back about your journey, you can always come back to these notes to cherish the good times there. Personally, I have actually used these observations in order to enrich some writings of mine! You see, every journey you take, you will always be able to learn something, so don’t ever think that this is a waste of time. Additionally, every now and then, you need some time to relax, right?

Last but not least, watch out for the weather during that day! If the weather is too bad to be outside, then plan your journey for another day. If the weather is more ideal, still, prepare to bring things like sunscreen or a small umbrella - you will never be able to expect what the weather is, right? Alright, with that, I hope you have an amazing time with your little solo trip!