☿: lifestyle

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Pour les francophones, j'ai écrit cet article en français sur le blog de student jobs, vous pouvez le consulter ici.

CapeTown, South Africa

If someone ever told me in high school that I would book a flight ticket to a foreign land and travel there by myself, I would not have believed it.

4 years after high school, here I am, booking a flight ticket for my solo trip to Portugal.

What happened between the end of High School and the end of my studies? Well, my mindset and my life goals have changed.
I "just" wanted to study abroad to speak a better English but moving to Holland to study led me to this wandering lifestyle two years later.

A lire/Related: How to learn a language effortlessly/Comment apprendre une langue facilement

Australia

I absolutely love my friends and family, I do love spending time and traveling with them. But, I also enjoy my own company and seeing the world by myself.

For those who would like to go on their first solo trip but are scared, I wrote up this article that I hope, will encourage you to step into greatness and chase your dreams.

1) Get over the clichés :

Paris, France

First of all, traveling alone doesn't mean being courageous. It only means that you prefer to do what makes you happy instead of staying home and complaining because you're bored/unhappy.
Traveling alone doesn't mean that you are a f*cking weirdo with no friends. I've said it already, I love my friends. However, I don't like waiting for ages because they are unsure on whether we will be traveling together. How many times did I cancel a trip because my friends "finally didn't have any money left", "found a job" or "didn't find anyone to stay with the cat" ?! I just decided that such things would not prevent me of traveling anymore.
Also, being with your friends doesn't mean that the trip will be awesome. Some friends can turn out to be the worst travel companion. Trust me.

Another cliché: "I don't like my life and my relatives". I have big news for you, I absolutely love my life and relatives, more than ever. My relatives are even proud of me because I'm building up my own happiness.

2) Try a short getaway alone :

Reus, Spain

If you live in Holland, plan a trip to Brussels or Paris. Both are gorgeous places and are close to home. You can return home in a heartbeat if you really don't enjoy the experience (but you will!).

3) Stay at a backpackers:

Cape Town, South Africa

Traveling alone doesn't mean that you will stay alone during the whole trip. I've been to amazing places and have done some amazing things, but the highlights of my trips were always the people that I met along the road. I met those friends at backpackers, on couchsurfing, during my internships/studies abroad and/or by simply sharing my house.
It is easier to meet people when you travel on your own than with your squad. All the times where I didn't especially meet anyone where when I was with my friends and it makes sense actually. Why would you go out of your comfort zone when you are with your friends?! You already have someone to talk to, to exchange with and someone to help you out. Whereas when you are alone, you will ask people at your backpackers if they know where the best place to have gelatos is or if they want to visit a part of the city with you. And bam! You have a new companion now.
If you don't like sharing your room, you can also book a private one and meet people in common rooms.

A lire aussi/Related: How to meet people on the road/Comment rencontrer du monde en voyage

4) Travel to friendly places

I can't think of a better place than Canada when it comes to friendliness and open mindness. I would also recommend the US as Americans easily talk to you (unlike French or German people!)

5) Pick a country where English is largely spoken

Travel where English (or another language that you speak) is largely spoken. For that, I would recommend English speaking countries (hello Captain Obvious) and Scandinavian countries+Holland.

A lire aussi/Related: Perfect destinations for your first solo trip

6) Share your dreams with people that will encourage you

Thailand

"You don't have friends?!","why are traveling alone?! Ask someone to come with you", "it's dangerous!"...Don't surround yourself with negative people that will take your dreams down! I can assure you that the same people will envy you once you will share pictures of your toes in white-sandy beaches.
At the end of the day what really matters is how you feel. I don't want to tell myself in 10 years from now that "I wanted to go to Bali but didn't go because no one wanted to come along". I personally prefer to go alone than not going at all.

A lire aussi/related: Is South Africa dangerous/ la sécurité en Afrique du Sud

Over to you! Have you ever done a solo trip?

Many of us tend to forget our style while being on the road and prefer comfort over style and that's totally fine. For those who would like some tips and tricks on how to travel in style, I asked people who love fashion how they manage to stay on point while travelling.

Caution: Some places have strict rules when it comes to clothing. If you visit mosques or sacred temples dress appropriately.

Badshahi Mosque, Lahore. Courtesy of ajh57.wordpress.com

Certains d'entre nous négligent leur style quand ils voyagent. Et il n'y a aucun mal à ça. Chacun est libre de s'habiller comme il entend, mais pour ceux qui aimeraient des conseils pour se sentir beau/belle même en voyage, on a demandé à des gens passionnés par la mode de nous donner des petits conseils.

Attention, dans certains pays conservateurs vous devez vous habiller de manière à couvrir votre corps. Les filles, ayez toujours une écharpe avec vous si vous voulez visiter un lieu de culte.

Related/A lire aussi: Discovering Istanbul/ à la découverte d'Istanbul

"Wear some comfortable sneakers"

Associate Managing Editor for Cosmopolitan Indonesia @dheniel

First of all, know the climate/weather of your destination. Basic colors are the best things to wear. Be sure to have white, black and grey t-shirts. Why?! Because these colors mostly suit everything in your closet.

Wear comfortable sneakers for those long walks around Paris or London! Make sure you take the perfect colors for the mix and match with your clothes. for example, white sneakers are a good example of stylish combination nowadays and they match almost with everything already in your closet. Finally, don't forget to bring your shades. those will make you look chic and will hide your bags.

Avant toute chose, renseignez-vous sur le temps qu'il fera sur place. Portez des couleurs basiques comme le noir, blanc et gris parce que ces couleurs vont avec tout ce qu'il y a dans votre garde-robe.

Portez des sneakers pour vos longues ballades à Londres ou à New York. Prenez une couleur qui va avec tout comme le blanc. Et pour finir, portez des lunettes de soleil pour avoir une allure sophistiquée (tout en cachant vos cernes).

Related/ à lire aussi: Paris on a budget

Wear white t-shirt for traveling, courtesy of @wites_apparel

Wear comfortable sneakers and t-shirt, Courtesy from @wites_apparel

"Use a weekend bag"

Young Fashion Blogger @jeremyblog

Always try not to overdress (it depends on the destination). Jeans can be a good option to wear indeed. I usually wear comfortable slim fit jeans and blazers. They perfectly fit with jeans. On vacation, you should not pack a lot of clothes. Don't forget that what you pack is what you will have to carry. If it's a short getaway you can use a weekend bag!

Another thing to remember is that you need to own a pair of clean shoes. If you know that you will walk a lot, you should spare some clean shoes if you plan to go to fancy clubs. Pack some good looking sneakers and try to mix them with a dapper look, so no Nike or New Balance shoes here.

Regarding male grooming, please use hair products that suit the environment you are in. For instance, I use wax products in a mild warm countries such as Croatia and Italy.

Restez vous même et n'en faites pas trop. Portez des jeans pour vous faciliter la vie. Un blazer va très bien avec un jean! N'emmenez pas trop de vetements. Et oui! ce que vous emmenez est ce qui rajoutera du poids dans vos bagages. Misez sur un joli bagage à main.

Mon astuce est de toujours partir avec des chaussures un peu chic si je prévoie d'aller dans un club branché. Concernant votre coupe messieurs, un peu de gel fera l'affaire.

"Sleek and simple is really elegant!"

Fashion Model @rukixixi

Keep your make up simple: groomed eyebrows, tinted moisturizer, lip balm and some blush and that's it. Furthermore, keep jewelries simple and wear a watch (in case your phone battery dies ) or bring one or two favorite bracelets.

My recommended outfits for traveling are: a black skinny pair of jeans, black sweaters and black sneakers (for example: Yeezy black Adidas) or a white tank top with a leather jacket.

Sleek and simple is really elegant! So ditch the heels and dress like you are on a plane and not like you are ready to hit the runway.

Ne vous maquillez pas trop: des sourcils travaillés, un peu de bb cream, du baume à lèvres et un peu de blush feront l'affaire.

En ce qui concerne les bijoux, prenez une montre ainsi qu'un ou deux bracelets.

Mes tenues de voyages préférées sont: un jean skinny, un pull noir et des baskets noires ou encore un t-shirt blanc porté avec une veste en cuir.

"Always bring shades"

Business Student @mjhament

For me don't travel with make up just bring enough moisturizer! If you don't feel like doing your hair bring a cap or a hat. Moreover, bring leggings and a pair of sneakers. Also, oversized t-shirt or a blouse dress can be a good option.

The final touch is shades! always bring shades no matter the weather circumstances.

Pour moi, pas besoin de ramener tout son maquillage. La crème hydratante c'est la base! Si vous avez la flemme de vous coiffer emmener un chapeau. Amenez des leggings et une paire de sneakers. Ca se marie très bien avec un t-shirt ou une blouse oversized.

Je finis ma tenue avec des lunettes de soleil et ce, peu importe ma destination.

Over to you, do you have other tips on how to travel in style ?

Et vous les amis quelles sont vos astuces pour rester stylé en voyage?

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How to get over the fear of traveling alone/Se débarasser de la peur du voyage solo

How to travel in style/Comment garder son style en voyage