Traveling by yourself is something that I recommend everyone — especially women — experience at least once in their life. Solo travel has opened my mind in ways I didn’t think possible and has taught me more about myself and the world than anything else has (yes, even more than going to college and working at a startup media company has!). But if I’m being brutally honest, solo travel has also made me uncomfortable and anxious in ways I didn’t know possible.
Now, I don’t want you to read that sentence and feel scared or unsure about traveling by yourself. After four years of traveling alone, the discomfort I felt when I first began adventuring solo has almost completely disappeared. And the discomfort and anxiety I felt didn’t stem from my being scared of walking alone in a foreign city or from fear that I was unsafe. The uneasiness and anxiety I used to feel was caused by my never having been alone — truly alone — in my entire life. Previous trips had always been planned and overseen by my parents, or I had visited somewhere new with a group of friends. Getting used to being by myself (in a foreign place, no less) took some adjusting, but once I became comfortable with being myself, with only myself for comfort and entertainment, my personal universe changed drastically for the better.
By now, I’m sure you’re wondering how the heck all of this ties in with my travel nighttime routine. It really all boils down to this: I think your mindset when you turn out the lights at night directly correlates with your mood when you wake up. Those first few trips I took by myself included a lot of anxious nights, which made me wake up the next morning on edge and tired (totally not what I wanted to be feeling on days that I had big adventures planned).
About 6 months into my solo travels, I realized that a huge reason I was going to bed feeling unsettled was because I had no concrete routine. I’d return to my room at night and mindlessly scroll through Facebook or skip from episode to episode of whatever Netflix series I was currently hooked on. I wasn’t engaging with myself or with others, and so when I was finally tired enough to sleep my mind would hop from one thing to the next with no outlet to express what I was feeling.
Fast forward a few years, and I now have a specific nighttime routine that gives me a chance to reflect on what I’d seen and done that day, while also allowing me the time I need to properly unwind and relax. Here’s what I do every single night I travel solo, in the order that I do it:
Finalize my plans for tomorrow
Nothing is worse than rushing around in the morning to figure out what you want to do that day (especially if you have to schedule in time-sensitive tours and museum visits). The first thing I do before winding down for bed is go through the next day’s list of activities and jot them down in the order I want to do things. I usually leave one or two things at the end of the list that I’m interested in doing, but that aren’t absolutely necessary to add to my itinerary. This way, I have a few extra things tucked up my sleeve in case I see and do everything else on my list earlier than planned.
Call my parents
If I’m in the US, I’ll usually call one or both of my parents before it gets too late in the evening. Although I love traveling solo, it’s nice to have someone to talk to about my adventures that day. Plus, I think my parents appreciate knowing where I’ve been so they can keep tabs on me! If I’m out of the country or don’t have cell service, I might shoot them a quick email giving them a run down of my day, and in return they’ll usually reply with a few photos of my cats (which I’m always happy to receive).
Turn off my electronics
Even when I’m at home, I do my best to turn off all my electronics an hour or so before going to sleep. For some reason, staring at screens and choosing videos to watch makes me a little anxious before bed and prevents me from falling asleep right away. The one exception to this rule is if I need to set my phone alarm for the next morning. In that case, I’ll switch my phone to airplane mode so I’m not tempted to check Instagram and my many other social media accounts.
Take a hot shower
I will never be a morning shower person. I like to crawl into bed squeaky clean and ready to tackle the next day’s adventures. I usually travel with a small bottle of the same shower gel I use at home, which makes me feel a little calmer before bed. I also like to travel with a chunk of soap from home, since my skin is pretty sensitive (hotel soaps never feel good to me). If you’re in the same boat as me, it’s worth investing in a small soap holder for your travels. They’re only a few bucks and are easy to clean.
Write in my travel diary
The most important part of my bedtime travel routine is jotting down my day into my travel diary. I don’t journal at home, but I’ve found that writing down my trips helps me remember them so much better. I’ll write down not only each day’s activities, but also my observations about the culture of the place I’m staying, funny things I overheard on the subway, and things like that. Reading my old diary entries is so much fun and never ceases to make me smile. Plus, keeping a travel diary helps me remember what I want to share on Tall Girl Big World!
Read more: 5 Reasons You Should Start Journaling Your Travels
Read a book
If I’m still awake by this point (which doesn’t happen often—I’m usually exhausted after a day of adventuring), I’ll read a chapter from whatever book I brought with me. I love reading, and always have at least two books with me when I’m traveling (more if I’m traveling in a place where English isn’t the first language and I won’t be able to easily purchase a new book to read). Reading calms me down and preps my mind for bed. I try not to pack thrillers and murder mysteries when I’m traveling by myself, because those scare the crap out of me. Case in point: I read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo while I was in a sketchy AirBNB in Florence and was too scared to walk to the bathroom by myself in the middle of the night. Never again!
Depending on when I get back to my room after a day of exploring, my nighttime routine may take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours. If I’m really tired after my day out, I’ll listen to my body and shower and go to bed right away, but otherwise I do everything I’ve mentioned above to help me wind down.
Tell me: Do you thrive off routine like I do, or do you prefer to travel with a little less structure?
More posts you’ll love:
- 5 Practical Tips for Eating Alone at Restaurants
- 5 Useful Tips for Falling Asleep in an Unfamiliar Place
- 10 Things to ALWAYS Pack in Your Carry-On
- How I Take Photos of Myself While Traveling
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