Exactly one year ago I embarked on a seven month journey that took me to two continents and 13 new countries. I spent the majority of this adventure all by myself, something which was both ridiculously exciting yet also terrifying. I had always wished that I would one day be able to travel and experience new countries alone, but never thought it would happen to me as someone who had just finished their sophomore year of college. My parents encouraged and supported me through the entire process of applying to my internship in Mozambique and to my study abroad program in Denmark. Even though I had their support there were many people who still doubted that a young woman could travel alone for so long. At first I was baffled that instead of being met with support from many of those I love dearly, I was receiving the questions of: is it safe for you to do that? Aren’t you scared to go alone? Are you really sure you want to travel there by yourself? Eventually I had received these questions so many times, I had gotten down my answers. Yes it is safe because I am a smart traveler. No I’m not scared, but I’m nervous because guess what I’m getting to see the world at such a young age and that’s pretty amazing. And damn right I want to travel by myself, why wouldn’t I?

Now that I had finally gotten my answers down it was time for me to travel halfway across the world to Mozambique. In the days leading up to my departure I was calm and my mind was on packing and saying goodbye to my friends and family, but in the 24 hours prior to take off all hell broke loose. I started crying (and couldn’t stop), I couldn’t get off the floor because I was having back spasms and worst of all I didn’t want to go anymore. The voices of the doubters had gotten inside my head and they were taking away the excitement I had of traveling alone. As my mom and I (really just my mom) were trying to pack my suitcase with my ridiculous amount of clothes, I told her that I didn’t want to go. She told me in true mom-fashion that I had to. This response pushed me into further hysterics and sadness. But while I was lying on the ground, crying, thinking of all the horrible things that could happen while I was traveling alone my mom reminded me of why I wanted to go on this crazy adventure in the first place. She reminded me about how I couldn’t stop talking about seeing new places and living abroad since I was in middle school. I’ve always wanted to see the world and get outside of my comfort zone, but in that moment I had lost sight of all that. And with the voices of all those who instilled fear inside me quiet for a bit I was able to finishing packing and get ready for the adventure that stood in front of me.

Going out into the world alone is a nerve-racking thought especially when those around you project their own fear onto you, but seeing the world through your own eyes is something spectacular. There is no absolute guide on how to travel by yourself, because no two people’s experiences are ever the same. As long as you travel smart and put your heart into your travels, it will always turn out well. In the end it will all be worth it because there is nothing quite like the feeling of looking out your window as your plane is descending into a new city, trying to imagine yourself wandering the streets and getting lost. That feeling is something that I cherish and love, and something that I have had the pleasure and privilege to experience. The absolute best part about that feeling though, is knowing that it’s up to you, and only you, to figure out what your next step is once you get off the plane.