14 Things I Wish I’d Known Before I Travelled

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Looking to book your first backpacking trip? Here are 14 things I just WISH I had known before I took my first solo trip nine years ago.

“Mum, I’m off for a trip around the world, and it’s going to change my life.”

Life-changing is definitely one way I’d put it! But did you ever think about the fact you might learn from things going wrong? Or from near-death experiences?

No, I didn’t either.

Nine years ago, when I packed my first gigantic backpack full of unnecessary equipment, I had no idea what was waiting for me.

As you can imagine, everything I’d dreamed of didn’t go to plan. Plans would go up, down, backwards, sidewards and a full 360. And I was so not prepared for it.

But every dramatic change, piece of misery, worry, fear and crazy moment allowed me to become the person I am today (even if I did have a temper tantrum at the time).

With just under a decade of on-and-off backpacking trips, I’ve learnt a thing or two.

And I’ve definitely seen a thing or two.

But these unexpected curveballs are part of what makes travelling so special.

Other posts like this:

• I’m Removing Toxic People From My Life: July 2022 Life Update
• Why I Started a Travel Blog (& What Keeps Me Going)
• How To Know If You’re Ready To Travel Solo

🌎 Travelling for the first time? You’re in the right place! Check out my essential travel kit for EVERY type of trip, big or small!

“Sometimes things go wrong. That’s where the real adventure begins.”

1. You can rely on the kindness of strangers

You know we were told to ‘stay away from strangers’ as a kid? This doesn’t count when you’re travelling.

Although I wouldn’t advise getting in the car of a creepy guy any time soon, there will be so many kind, welcoming and friendly people everywhere you’ll go.

All over the world, I’ve met people from backgrounds of all kinds. I’ve had conversations with people who have barely spoken the same language as me.

Truthfully, I’ve felt welcomed in almost every country, city and area I’ve visited.

It’s comforting to know how many good people are out there.

I know it’s daunting talking to strangers, especially when you’re on your own. When I travelled to the US on my first backpacking trip, I don’t think I had the guts to speak to anyone for about 72 hours.

My brain was constantly doing overtime, questioning and doubting myself.

What if they don’t want to talk to me? If they don’t understand my language? Are they going to think I’m weird?!

It’s normal to doubt yourself when you travel on your own for the first time. But honestly, most people will be glad to speak to you! They’ll want to talk to you about their life and tell you their story. Some of my most memorable moments travelling are because of the people I met.

If you’re travelling alone for the first time, you’re going to need to build the confidence to make friends. Chat to your roomie in your hostel, start a conversation on a trip out. If you don’t, you’re going to have a pretty lonely trip.

Trust me, as soon as you let go of your ‘talking to strangers’ fear, your trip is going to get a whole lot better. And you might just end up making some friends for life.

Bit of an over-packer? I have the answer! I use these handy packing cubes for every trip, meaning I can pack nearly 2 times as much as I could without! They are so worth investing in!

2. Things will go wrong. ALL the time.

If you’re travelling on your own for the first time, be prepared for a bumpy (but exciting) ride.

Deciding to take a backpacking trip is the best decision you’ll ever make. But things will go wrong. All the time.

Flights will be cancelled.

Hostels will be fully booked when you’ve used your last bit of energy running for that cancelled flight.

And then tropical storms will damage the final dodgy accommodation you’ve found after that cancelled flight.

Well, maybe not as bad as this, but things will go wrong. And that’s ok!

Learning to live with these unpredictable and unavoidable events is part of your backpacking journey. You’ll learn more about yourself in an unfortunate position than at any other time on your trip. Trust me.

Take it on the chin, go with the flow, and don’t let it get you down.

Shit happens. Shit happens all the time. Just don’t expect to see it on Instagram, as most people don’t want a highlight reel of all the shit in their life on social media. It happens to everyone, I promise.

Plus, tomorrow you’ll be back out surfing on Bondi Beach or drinking at the hostel bar with your new pals.

Time passes, and it will be ok.

🗺️ My worldwide must-have:  I use my Insta Mini 11 to take photos on all of my trips. As they print instantly, they’re perfect for making a scrapbook and writing in all your favourite and funniest memories. I’ve even got my boyfriend joining in on it now too!

3. You will cry. A lot.

“Travelling tends to magnify all human emotions.” – Peter Hoeg

Yep, agree with that one.

Travel is going to bring on emotions you didn’t even know you could feel. Naturally, pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and going into the unknown is going to cause you to feel things.

And whilst we’re travelling, our emotions are heightened. Yay!

Of course, with the bad, there’s also the good. Happy tears will appear on many occasions. You’ll cry from gratitude and pure, wholesome joy. But then there’s also the hysteria, anger and frustration tears. Yep, they’ll appear too.

Your first backpacking trip will be unlike no other.

Emotions are there to be felt. Let them out. Let yourself cry. 

🗺️ My worldwide must-have: If you’re solo travelling, don’t forget to take earphones for busy public transport. Listening to a podcast or tuning out from the noise is a lifesaver on a busy city trip!

4. You will get homesick

This is one that I’m sure every single backpacker or traveller has felt at some point.

We might all tell ourselves that we won’t miss home, but there will be days when you miss your comforts. There will be times when you’re homesick. And that’s ok!

During my first solo trip to America nearly nine years ago, I had an overwhelming rush of homesickness at around the six-week mark. I missed my family. My friends. Tea and biscuits in front of the TV. I was missing events that I wanted to be a part of.

I wanted to go home. 

But the feeling didn’t last long. It passed! I listened to myself and went through the motion of accepting that I was homesick, and that’s ok. It’s a feeling that’s totally valid.

Usually, you’ll feel the most homesick when you’re tired or you’re missing a basic need to function.

Hungry, unwell, or your hostel totally sucks?

Yeah, these are times when you’re going to miss your memory foam mattress and home-cooked meals. 

Or you’ll just feel homesick because you haven’t seen any familiar faces in a while. You’ve been on the road for a long time, you haven’t really stopped to take anything in, and it’s been months since you saw a family member or friend.

Feeling homesick is a totally normal feeling.

What’s important is to work out whether your homesickness is a passing feeling, or an indicator that your trip is coming to an end (we’ll tackle this one in the next point).

Be kind to yourself. 

Facetime your family, look through old photos, ring your friends and have a good old cry.

The homesickness will pass, I promise. 

5. It’s OK to go home!

This is one I want to make loud and clear. So many first time backpackers just cannot get their heads around the fact it is OK to go home (even if you weren’t planning on it!)

If your friend was travelling, and they text you that they were unhappy, homesick and hated living out of a bag, what would you say to them? Would you tell them, “tough, you’re away now, there’s no turning back.”

Or would you tell them to do whatever makes them happy?

Too many backpackers think their trip duration has been written in solid gold for the travel gods. It isn’t. You can stop at any time.

Worried about feeling like a failure if you quit your backpacking trip? In my eyes, you’re more of a failure if you don’t listen to your own emotions and continue to force yourself to do something you don’t want to do.

If it’s not right for you, walk away.

Travel is not for everyone. 

There is no shame, embarrassment or failure in wanting to go home and stop your trip. It’s your life, your decision and no one else’s. 

Travel isn’t for everyone! It really isn’t.

Travel is tough. It’s relentless. You need to really have that fire in your belly to keep going. It’s NOT a sign of failure if that fire has burnt out! It just means that you need a new direction!

No travel experience is wasted. Even if your six-month trip turned to six weeks, you’ve learned more about yourself than you could have imagined.

Deciding you’ve had enough and wanting to go home is ok. Denying yourself the right to do this, isn’t.

Listen to your gut!

6. Travel burn out is a real thing.

Just like you can burn out at work, you can burn out during your backpacking trip. You just need to know the steps to avoid it or know how to reverse it if it happens.

Most backpackers will travel at a fast pace, with an overwhelming urge to see and do everything. And that’s ok, I’ve been there! But the pressure of needing to be busy every single day is tiring.

You’ll be at risk of exhausting yourself and making it to the end of your trip without sickness or exhaustion.

Remind yourself that you CAN pause and you CAN have rest days. They’re just as important as your busy days!

If you don’t treat yourself to a duvet or beach day every once in a while, you’re going to burn out. Cue a lack of enthusiasm, sickness, mood swings and missing home.

Plan rest days. Book spontaneous nights in private rooms. You’ll appreciate being away from the madness of a shared dorm every once in a while (and you deserve it).

🗺️ My worldwide must-have: Solo travelling but still want to take photos?  📸 I’ve found the most perfect adjustable tripod that’s lightweight and easy to set up (you don’t want any awkward moments alone, I know how it feels!)

7. Things will get stolen or lost

If you’re on a lengthy backpacking trip, there’s no doubt that you’re going to lose a few items along the way.

Busy hostel rooms, panicked airports, stuffy transport and the packing-and-unpacking you’ll be doing all of the time, it’s inevitable that some things will get lost or stolen. Let’s just hope it’s not your passport!

A top tip for shared dorm rooms: keep your bag and belongings organised in a designated spot.

If you’re on the bottom bunk, try to keep everything underneath your bed (in a drawer if possible). Don’t leave half on your bed, half on the floor and some in your bag. Most travellers are not tidy and organised, so if you keep on top of your own things, you’ll reduce the chances of losing anything.

If you’re a top bunker, mark your territory on the floor at the end of one of your bunks. Hang up a jumper or t-shirt, with your bag directly underneath. Make it clear that it’s your space and your space only!

Regardless of what you do, you’re going to lose a few things along the way.

Asking the hostel receptionist to post my straggly hair extensions down the East Coast of Australia was not one of my finest moments.

When it happens, don’t dwell on it. It happens. Shit happens! As long as it’s not your passport, move on.

Oh, and if you’re in a foreign country and someone tries to steal your phone, money, passport or ANYTHING material from you, hand it over!

Material things are replaceable. You’re not!

8. Nothing you plan is guaranteed.

Hi, I’m Jennie and I’m an avid-crazy-planner so travelling gives me meltdowns.

Boy, have I had my fair share of meltdowns over cancelled plans! Cancelled transport, unpredictable weather, global pandemics, the list is never-ending. And plans change a lot, too.

When the inevitable happens, think to yourself; what if my plans have changed for a reason? My route has changed because I’ll meet even better people now? The road is closed because there’s an even prettier one?

My boyfriend, Tom, likes to call these situations ‘Tom’s mystery tours’. And if I’m honest, after I’ve calmed down, the ‘mystery tour’ is usually better than the original (it just takes me a while to realise this).

So, let it go!

Let the plans change.

Nothing about travel is rigid or guaranteed. Allow yourself to go with it, accept it, and enjoy it.

🗺️ Booking hostels? I always use Hostelworld as their deals are usually the cheapest. They also have reviews from other backpackers, and explain the vibe of the hostel (party, chill, social…) so you know exactly what you’re booking. 

9. You can earn money as you travel

If only I had known this all those years ago!

Just because you’re travelling, it doesn’t mean you can’t earn money along the way. Whether you pick up in-person, cash in hand shifts, or teach English online for a few hours a week, it is possible to earn money whilst travelling. 

Look at websites like Worldpackers to find a range of jobs you can do all over the world.

If you sign up with Worldpackers, make sure you use my code JENNIEWANDERS to get $10 off!

10.  The words ’emotional rollercoaster’ will become very familiar to you

One word to describe backpacking for the first time: rollercoaster.

You’ll have some moments you’ll remember forever. Some of the best moments of your life. And some of the worst.

You’ll laugh until your belly hurts. And think you’re being kidnapped on a regular basis, too.

Well, it’s not that bad (unless you’re on a transfer in Thailand and get shoved in the back of a man’s van to get to your next stop. Then it really is that bad).

Ultimately, you’re stepping out of your comfort zone. You’re putting yourself in unknown situations. You’re doing things that cannot possibly be done in the safety of your own home in the UK. It’s bound to bring out a few emotions, right?

Things are going to amaze you, or scare you, enlighten you, terrify you, worry you and shock you. 

What you just don’t expect is this can all happen on the same day. How fun!

Just because you wake up in a positive mood to scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef, doesn’t mean you won’t be crying from a jellyfish sting and a broken foot a few hours later. And then find yourself stuck on the boat in a storm.

But then you’re doing shots until 2am with your new hostel buddies, so who cares! But don’t forget someone’s going to be snoring louder than a tractor at 4am, so don’t get too excited.

You’re going to experience every emotion whilst you’re backpacking. Whether it’s your first, third or 300th time on the road.

But, at least if you’re having a near-death experience, you’ll be laughing about it later, right? 

11. You do not need three pairs of jeans, curlers, a pair of heels and your entire makeup bag

Sorry!

Don’t worry, I made the huge mistake of trying to pack my entire life into my bag on my first backpacking trip. But you’ll realise super quickly how irrelevant, unwanted and unnecessary all of that stuff will be. You won’t need half the things you think you do.

Let your hair dry naturally. Let your freckles, tan and sun-kissed skin shine! You don’t need six pairs of denim jeans and a pair of heels. You’re not going to want them, I promise!

And you’ll be mad at yourself for bringing too much. And even angrier when you decide to dump your favourite heels and jeans because you can’t take the weight anymore.

Pack your bag, then repack it again, taking out at least a third of what you originally packed. I promise you won’t need it.

12. The people you meet are more important than any destination you visit

Most backpackers’ goal when travelling for the first time is to check off as many destinations as possible. Work through their endless bucket list and experience everything the world has to offer.

Understandably, this is the biggest attraction of travelling. There’s nothing I love more than planning a new route and ticking off new countries!

But what you don’t realise is, it’s not the countries, cities, mountains or lakes that make your trip. It’s the people.

Trust me, you can be in the prettiest place in the world, but if you get robbed, ignored or scammed, you’re not going to like it. The people make all the difference.

I’ve been to sketchy places with amazing people, and I look back at those experiences as some of my favourites.

Immersing yourself in cultures and communities is one of the most special things about travelling. It isn’t JUST about the location. The location is only half of the experience!

Seeing how others live, talking to people from different backgrounds, engaging in conversations you never thought you’d have, making new friends and laughing with locals, that’s the best part of travel.

That’s what travel is all about!

Not the mountain ranges or the beaches or the jungles. They’re a close second, but the people are what makes your trip special.

13. Your problems won’t just disappear

And I learnt this one the hard way.

Your problems and worries do not disappear when you travel. They may hide for a while, or find themselves tucked away in the back of your mind, but the problems are still there.

Don’t use travel as your therapist. Travel allows you to see things from a new perspective, but it will not fix anything.

You may change an opinion, mindset or feel differently towards a situation, but travelling isn’t going to solve your problem. You’ll still need to work on that whilst you’re out there. 

14. Choose your travel buddy wisely!

If you’re planning on travelling with someone, great! But please, for your sake and theirs, make sure you’ve chosen your travel buddy wisely! 

Travelling with someone can put a strain on a relationship, and it’s even worse if you don’t know them very well in the first place.

When it comes to travel, we all have different wants, fears, likes and dislikes. How many times have you argued about how slowly you’re hiking a mountain in your living room? Even the person you LIVE with might not be the right travel buddy for you. It takes a lot of thought and consideration when it comes to sharing your once in a lifetime trip with someone.

When you’ve decided who to travel with, ask yourself the following questions;

• Am I happy to occasionally compromise, and do things they want to do?
• If not, am I happy to experience parts of the trip solo?  
• Does this person have the same wants as I do? Destination, activity type, pace, outlook on life…
• Can I be around this person 24 hours a day? Even in tough situations, scary situations, and when things become overwhelming?
• Will this person support me when I’m feeling fed up, angry, homesick, worried, scared or miserable? 
• Would I do the same back for them? 

I’ve either travelled with my best friend Matt, with my boyfriend Tom, or solo.

But during my first backpacking trip, I was persuaded to travel with someone I met along the way and knew very little about.

What a mistake that was!

Four gruelling weeks of travel in America with someone I had zero in common with. But I was young, and my confidence to travel alone was low.

I didn’t have a support base or an online group. Solo travel wasn’t something that was talked about as much back then, and I thought tagging along with someone else would be better than going solo.

Looking back, I wish I had just had the guts to go alone.

But we booked all of our flights together, hostels and accommodation, so I felt trapped. It’s a mistake that I regret, and it had such a negative impact on the end of my journey in the US. 

On the other hand, travelling with my best friend Matt or boyfriend Tom gave me some of the most incredible moments of my life.

Having a travel buddy to support you, laugh with you when things get rough, and give you a confidence boost makes a big difference.

I’m a huge advocate for solo travel, but if you can travel with someone you love, do it.

In a Nutshell

If you’ve made the decision to head on your first backpacking trip, you’ve made the best decision of your life.

But I also hope this post has taught you that it isn’t all rainbows and roses. Things can be unpredictable, confusing, scary and daunting. But, it’s all part of the fun, and all part of your journey.

As always, we’re here to support your first backpacking trip or travel journey from start to finish. 

Whether you need support on the road, or before you’ve even booked your first flight, we’re here for you. 

Got something you wish you’d known before your first backpacking trip? Let me know in the comments below or contact me on Instagram here!

Happy travelling 🙂 

Jennie x

Hey you! 🙋‍♀️ I quit my job in 2021 to become a full-time travel blogger + visit as much of the globe as possible. Come and join me on my chaotic and hilarious travel journeys!

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