Skip to main content

15 lessons I learned while exploring a foreign city solo

I've done this a few times. 

  1. Download offline maps beforehand
  2. Take screenshots of important addresses and directions
  3. Learn a few key phrases in the local language
  4. Have a list of must-sees and then some would-be-nice-to-sees
  5. Leave a day to just explore (if the timing works out)
  6. Consider an Airbnb so you can do laundry before coming home (trust me, coming home with a suitcase full of clean clothes feels so much better)
  7. Carry a list of souvenirs you want to buy (specific local things you want to get and/or people you want to shop for)
  8. Bring a nice camera if you can
  9. Don't be afraid to ask for directions
  10. Check out Atlas Obscura as well as the main tour guides
  11. Look into local tours (walking, bus, ghost, etc.)
  12. Make sure you have the means to charge your phone and other important technology
  13. Research tipping and other norms you may encounter
  14. Forget any pressure to see the most things possible, vacation can also be an important time to rest
  15. Enjoy going at your own pace

(Prompt mostly by ChatGPT)

"Person holding a Phone with Google Maps checking the location at Zuccotti Park in New York City" by Marco Verch. Attribution 2.0 Generic.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Starting my parental journey, part 1

To be clear, I am not pregnant. Nor do I currently plan on being pregnant soon. However, I promised myself that if I was 30 and still single I'd start to explore my options for having a child either on my own or later in life with a partner. Well, 30 came and went, but 31 is still here so close enough I figure. My first step was to make an appointment to discuss options with a doctor because I could do all the research I wanted on the internet, but I knew it would overwhelm me. As I write this, I haven't had that appointment yet so no news there. Now I made this appointment in February (hey, I was still 30 then!) and it was originally scheduled for October (yes, an 8-month wait for an initial appointment), but last week the appointment got moved up to this week and things got moving! The timing feels right in a certain way. Two people I care about are having babies in the next month, someone else I love is expecting next year, and I also know multiple couples either trying or g
Post a Comment
Read more

Starting my parental journey, part 2

You can read part 1 here . Yesterday I began the next step of my parental journey. Ironically, it was starting birth control. This medicine helps prepare my ovaries for the egg retrieval process. It was weird taking the pill to prepare for my fertility journey because you typically think of the pill as ensuring you don't get pregnant. Obviously, I'm not getting pregnant now, but I am getting ready for that eventual possibility. There have also been various bureaucratic issues that I've been dealing with. Mostly insurance stuff (as I'm sure comes as no surprise). But, thanks to a new benefit at work that started 1/1/24, my journey will be (mostly) covered. While, again, there were some bureaucratic hurdles that I had to overcome in order for this to all work out, I am immensely glad that it did work out. I am nervous though. In part I'm nervous about a lot of the practicalities of this step in my journey. For instance, I will have to inject myself with various medica
Post a Comment
Read more

90 Fiance: The Other Way, season 5, episode 24

Tell all time concludes?  Aw Kenny is sweet I guess Holly and Wayne are working it out? God, Tim, I don't care God, Shekinah, you are so brainwashed Dan, no one asked for you to be here Sarper, why are you admitting this? Gosh Midnight's birth sounds so scary Aw so we do get to see Midnight Chill, Brandan Shekinah, you thought Brandan was an angel until right now??? Okay three weeks isn't a long time to not ask for money, Brandan Brandan's mom, is so right...they need therapy Wait is there really only one therapist in all of Samoa? Mary, you shared your problems with a TV crew Oh Brandan and Mary are thinking of moving to the US or at least visiting Sarper, I suppose it takes one to know one Yohan...you sure look guilty Again, I'm not saying Daniele is great, but like, my dude, you definitely cheated on her Daniele, why haven't you filed already? Lol to Kimberly making a face I'm genuinely worried about Shekinah Daniele...are you going to keep living in the
Post a Comment
Read more