Surviving International Travel As An Introvert

Traveling can be the most exciting and rewarding thing you experience. You get to see new places and things, meet new people, and question everything you know. With 1.4 billion people traveling globally in 2019, there’s no doubt that the world has opened up and tourists are taking advantage of it.

For introverts though, it can be hard to imagine traveling or embrace the joys of traveling because it requires leaving what you know and feel comfortable with behind. Introverts cherish the places that they feel safe, along with knowing what to expect. When traveling, you start with a blank slate again and open yourself up to the unfamiliar. That can cause a fair bit of stress, but there are lots of ways to overcome those stresses and overcome your fear of travel as an introvert.

Introverts might be hesitant to travel but solo travel can be a rewarding experience.

Plan As Much As You Can Ahead of Time

There are lots of little details to keep track of when you travel and those can cause unnecessary stress or hold you back along your journey. To get around those issues, just make sure you have easy access to any documentation or information you need.

Consider storing your boarding pass through an app like Apple Wallet on iPhones, or for Android users, Google Pay. By moving as much paperwork to a device, you can free your hands while traveling and feel less weighed down, and worry less about misplacing things.

When it comes to booking your flight, some considerations you should have beyond price and flying time is how full the flight is and whether your airline and ticket class allow you to choose your seat. This is important because even though some things are out of your control, you can at least plan to expect where you’ll be sitting on the plan.

Traveling forces introverts to grow through socializing and adapting to unfamiliar environments.

Book Private Lodgings in A Quiet Area

Before you land, preferably at the same time you book your flight to a destination, you want to find housing or accommodations. For an introvert, it’s important to have your space and that could be risked by booking shared housing by mistake or thinking that you can’t find affordable options that will give you the space you need. You can definitely find suitable lodging if you do your research and use some handy tools.

TripIt is a useful app that allows you to look up the neighborhood safety scores internationally. That way, you can know what you’re getting into before you actually book an Airbnb, hotel, or any other type of accommodation. Even if a listing seems promising and you like the look of the accommodation, it might be in an unsafe area or be a little too noisy and busy for the quiet, recharge time that you need as an introvert.

When using Airbnb, you should check off “Entire Place” in the filter options in order to display listings that ensure you are the only occupant of the space during the times you booked. You still want to make sure to carefully examine the specific listing before booking though, to make sure it really is a private space.

Sometimes the place will actually be a room in someone’s home and while you have that space to yourself, the owners might still be around in main areas. The reviews section can also be an amazing resource for what other guests have experienced. If it seems like a disruptive environment or there are other issues that seem to come up, you can get a heads up and factor that in before booking.

The sooner you start traveling the sooner you’ll be able to overcome your reservations.

Don’t Rush Out The Door

When you finally find yourself in a new country, you might feel inclined to immediately get out and see the sights, but it might pay off later on (if not the entire trip), if you resist that temptation and take breaks. Even if you’re on vacation it doesn’t mean you don’t need to take a breath and clear your mind—especially after being on a plane for several hours. That’s quite the event on its own and your body and mind likely need to rest.

The concept of slow travel is a new one and long overdue. The idea behind it is to travel in a fulfilling way and still see and experience what you wanted on a trip, but doing so mindfully and in the moment. In the digital age, it’s easy to get lost in the mission of taking a perfect photo or capturing special moments on video.

While photos and videos can be valuable artifacts to help look back on your experiences, it’s more important to balance those inclinations with feeling connected to your surroundings and making sure you have just as much time on the other side of a screen. So don’t hesitate to take a nap once a day in your hotel room, or lean back and people watch once a while.

When you fly back home you don’t want to feel like you need another vacation. By recognizing your mental and physical needs while traveling, you can still achieve a vacation that recharges you for your return to normal life.


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Hana Othman

Hana Othman is the founder of SimpleHermit.com and identifies as an INFJ. Most days you can find her typing away or reading a book. Beyond that, she keeps busy as a dog and cat mom.