I still remember the absolute panic of my first solo flight. I was standing in the security line at JFK airport in New York. My heart was pounding against my ribs. I had an oversized backpack crammed to the brim. It felt like every single person behind me was watching my every move. When it…
I still remember the absolute panic I felt standing in line at John F. Kennedy International Airport back in my early twenties. I was getting ready to board a budget flight to Europe for my very first solo backpacking trip. I had just quit my soul-crushing 9-to-5 office job in New York. To pay for…
I still remember the exact moment I realized my massive 75-liter rolling suitcase was my enemy. I was standing at the base of the subway stairs in Paris, sweat dripping down my neck, staring up at three flights of steep, narrow stone steps. My shoulders ached from a lifetime of packing for “just-in-case” scenarios. As…
There is a specific moment that every solo traveler knows by heart. You have just stepped off a long, cramped flight. The air in the new airport smells different—maybe like sweet jasmine, damp stone, or rich coffee. Your heart is beating a little fast with a mix of nerves and pure excitement. You walk past…
For years, I believed that traveling required a massive, heavy suitcase. When I landed my first corporate office job in New York after graduating from the State University of Albany, I used my limited vacation days to take quick, frantic trips. Every time, I brought a giant rolling bag stuffed with outfits I never wore,…
I still remember the exact moment I realized my travel style had to change. I was standing at the bottom of a massive, crowded stone staircase outside a train station in Rome. It was mid-July, the heat was bouncing off the pavement, and I was sweating through my clothes. In front of me was a…
I still remember standing in the middle of my tiny studio apartment years ago, staring at a massive, hard-shell suitcase that looked big enough to hold a small refrigerator. I was preparing to leave my secure but soul-crushing 9-to-5 office job in New York to backpack solo across Europe. I was terrified. To cope with…
I still remember the crisp autumn morning I stood on a sidewalk in Manhattan, staring at a mountain of luggage. It was 2017. I had recently graduated with my master’s degree, walked away from a sterile corporate office job that made me feel trapped, and signed up to teach English in Thailand. To save up…
I still remember the absolute panic I felt right before my very first solo backpacking trip across Europe. I was standing in the middle of my tiny New York apartment, surrounded by an ocean of clothes, three different pairs of heavy shoes, a massive first-aid kit that could support a small army, and a towering…