Travelling by Yourself for the First Time

Just over two years ago I flew on a plane by myself for the first time from Southern Ontario to Edmonton Alberta. I was 17, going through my first teen heartbreak, and needed to escape and visit my older sister.

Travelling alone for the first time can be both exciting and terrifying.

First, I’ll start off with the lead up to the day of travel.

I had two of my friends come with me to the airport. It was an early evening flight so we all went out to dinner before heading to the airport—a proper send off. I recommend this for a few reasons. First being because you’re not going to want to be hungry while waiting for your flight. While they will have food on most flights, they’re fairly expensive, so even just grabbing something to eat before leaving the house is a good idea. Second referring more to having someone with you at the airport for my first time was really helpful; my flight was delayed and my friends were able to sit with me for the extra time. They helped calm my slight nerves, my friend was my save and grace, and she gave me the top thing on my essentials list—a portable phone charger. I couldn’t thank her more, especially considering my boarding passes were on my phone and I had a layover in Toronto.

All in all, I’m thankful for my friends being willing to share the experience with me. We said our goodbyes for the next couple of weeks as I crossed the gate and my plane arrived.

The Essentials (Primarily for the Day of Travel)

Portable Phone Charger (say it again for everyone in the back): I cannot express how much of a lifesaver (no pun intended) this was for me; as I said earlier, my friend gave me her portable charger for my trip. While, yes, airports have both regular and USB outlets, typically they’re somewhere that can be awkward to sit and wait for your phone to charge (ESPECIALLY if it’s a crowded airport).

A Couple of Playlists: I had made up two playlists for my flight; the first was filled with upbeat songs—a lot of pop, rap, and a few rock songs (Fall Out Boy, Tyga, Sabrina Carpenter, Katy Perry, Cal Scruby, and Amine were my most played artists)—just fun songs to keep me motivated during the long layovers and delays, and something to keep me awake. The other was mainly used on the plane with softer, slower songs (Jazz Cartier, NF, The Chainsmokers, Manafest, The Lumineers) to help calm any nerves I may have had. I also had a few audiobooks saved for when I felt like I needed a break from music. I discovered my favourite while travelling was adventure and mystery.

Comfy Layers: I’ve found it helpful (especially in winter) to wear a few comfortable layers because...

1. So you can make sure you’re nice and comfy, and
2. Helps keep your luggage weight down.

Leggings and jogging pants are good options for bottoms, tank tops layered with a comfy t-shirt, and a cardigan or jacket make up for the top.

Safe for Travel Items: Lush has my absolute favourite items for travel, so prepare to hear me sing blessings of them. I also want to say that I highly suggest having this with you on your carry on because you never know how long you’ll be at an airport due to layovers and/or delays. I have been so glad to have a little toiletry kit on hand to be able to brush out my plane hair, brush my stale teeth, and just freshen up in general. That being said, I always have a toiletry bag set for whenever I’m spending a night away from home or travelling. It has solid toothpaste tabs (I like to use Boom! Toothy Tabs by Lush), solid mouthwash tabs (Creme De Menthe Mouthwash Tabs by Lush), solid shampoo (I typically skip conditioner when travelling, but I currently have Jumping Juniper Shampoo Bar by Lush along with their travel tin), face cleanser (Gritty Politti Naked Cleansing Bar by Lush), and a hairbrush (Mini Bamboo Handle Hairbrush by the Body Shop). Those are the main things I use that help save space and avoid liquids.

A Few Honorable Mentions for Your Carry-On: There are a few things you definitely will want to have on hand. Headbands or hair elastics, comfy headphones are a must, and a pen/pencil with a note/sketchbook for whenever you need to jot down something or just need something to pass time with drawing or writing. Also, a reusable water bottle because there will most likely be somewhere past the gates that you can fill it.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help or talk to people. As a naturally shy person, I was very nervous about talking to strangers. I put my mindset to this: If I was in their position, if a young person came up to me and asked me to help find something—simple and just having a person to generally talk to—would I be annoyed and want them to just keep it to themselves? No! Not at all. If I could help someone who was in the same boat as me then I would love to. I’ve found many people are very open to helping and some even like just chatting. When you know you’re going to be stuck on a plane in each other's bubble for an extended period of time, you might as well strike up a conversation.

Enjoy yourself. It is so important to remember that travelling is so beautiful; don’t forget to take a few moments to experience and appreciate things around you.