There’s much to love about setting sail and exploring an overseas destination, but it would be wrong to say that it’s all good. Whenever you’re out of your comfort zone, there’s always a chance that things can become stressful, and that’s why it’s important that you take steps to ensure your trips are as smooth as possible. Below, we take a look at a few tried and tested methods for ensuring your journey doesn’t get sidetracked by stress.
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Choose Your Destination Wisely
First thing’s first: get your destination right. Some places are more stressful to travel in than others. If you’ve never been outside the United States, then it’ll be too much of a culture shock to find yourself, say, in one of India’s busiest cities. If you were to land in the UK, on the other hand, you’d find that you’re able to navigate everything much more smoothly. You might have your heart set on the big fish in your life, but sometimes it pays to delay certain places until you have the experience to do it properly.
Define Your Budget
Another reason why you’ll want to choose where you visit carefully: some places are more expensive than others. You might want to visit Norway, but if you don’t have all that much cash to play with, then you might regret it once you land and realize how expensive that country is. Before you get too ambitious with your plans, figure out your budget. It doesn’t matter what the figure comes out as — if you don’t have much, then you’ll know to stay in cheap accommodations, make your own food, and so on. Stress kicks in when you don’t do your research and don’t budget properly, and then, one week into your two-week trip, realize that you’ve spent far too much money.
Handling the Visa Situation
We’re used to thinking of traveling as being fun and relaxing, but there’s another side to it, too: the practical matters. One of the biggest ones is the visa situation since it’s this part that ensures you’re able to pass immigration and enter the country. This can be particularly problematic when you’re already traveling and need to figure out the visa for the next country you want to visit. To ensure that your entry is approved by the officer, look at using a flight itinerary for visa service. This will show that you intend to leave the country, which is one of the main things officers look when granting a visa.
Make Plans For When You Arrive
You might have got lost in the daydream of all the fun things that you’re going to do when you’re in the middle of your traveling adventure, but it’s important to keep in mind that you’ll need to do some stuff before you’re able to enjoy all of those things. Think, first, of what you’ll do when you land. After a long journey, it can be stressful trying to figure out how you’re going to reach your destination, especially if it’s not just a short journey away from the airport. If you’ve taken an extra long trip (say, from the States to, oh, Thailand), it might be worth staying at an airport hotel, and then completing the rest of your travel after a good night’s rest.
Look After Yourself
We tend to think of stress in terms of events. Like, we find ourselves in a stressful situation or something. In fact, it’s better to think of stress in terms of what’s happening with our bodies. There are times when we’re more likely to be overwhelmed by a situation. We’d be able to handle getting lost if we were well-rested and well-fed; if we’re tired and hungry, then the situation will look a lot more bleak. As such, one of the best things you can do to keep the stress at bay is to look after yourself. If you’ve always had enough to eat, you’re not staying up too late, and you’re finding time to truly relax, then you’ll be able to weather whatever traveling throws your way.
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Connect With Locals and Friends
The thing that bothers travelers when they arrive is that they feel like an outsider, which, of course, they are. They see all the people around them going about their daily business, and they see themselves as removed from the thrum. There’s one simple way to get around this problem: open your mouth, and talk to people. A city can seem hostile when you first arrive, but by making a connection with someone, you’ll find that they’re not so intimidating after all. A few words in the local language will help facilitate this exchange. If you have friends living internationally, then it could be a good idea to stay with them. Many of the practical problems associated with traveling will be removed if you’re surrounded by people you know.
Check in with Home
Another reason people can feel alone when they’re traveling is that they’re so from home. Feeling disconnecting from home and family can bring on feelings of stress. But thankfully, we live in the modern age, when this isn’t as big a problem as it used to be. If this feeling begins to take hold, get out your phone, and call home. You’ll always feel a little better after you’ve spoken to the people nearest and dearest to you!
Go At Your Own Pace
People end up stressed in their personal life because they move at a pace that’s unnatural to them. They’re caught up in the rush. And this is especially easy to do when you’re traveling, and you’re out of your routine. If you’re beginning to feel this way, slow down, and remember that you can always go at your own pace. It’ll help to give you a renewed sense of control.
There’ll Be Low Moments
Finally, remember that there’ll be low moments! Don’t stress if it’s not all that you hoped it would be. Things will look rosier in the morning!
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