My perspective:
Two days before my flight I had… absolutely nothing ready. No plan, no clue, just a one-way ticket to New Zealand, some blind faith, and a backpack that was definitely overpacked. Honestly, I was shitscared but also excited. That flight from Germany was the first time I ever traveled solo and even though I had no idea what I was doing, it changed everything. Pro tip by the way: don’t pack your entire wardrobe, unless you are ready for some backpain!
I had just finished university, worked all kinds of part-time jobs, and was completely drained. The thought of starting a full-time job right after graduation gave me shivers. Was this really it for the next 40 years? Hell no. So I booked a one-way ticket as far away as possible. Did I plan much? Nope. I managed to get travel insurance, a working holiday visa, and I booked my first hostel literally two days before the flight. That was it. Because who doesn’t love last-minute panic? Keeps the adrenaline high.
Everyone back home asked me: “Aren’t you scared?” The answer was yes. I was terrified. But I still wanted to do it. That was the whole point. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone, meet new people, and prove to myself that I could handle it. And I learned that most of the limits we think we have only exist in our heads. Do it scared – but do it.
On my first big trip I didn’t rush through twenty countries. I stayed longer in just three because I wanted to really live there, not just check off tourist attractions. Also, packing and unpacking every two days? Hard pass. After one year I came back to Germany, thinking I was ready to settle down and get a job. Spoiler: I lasted three weeks before I started dreaming about other countries again. So I worked for a year, saved up money, and left again. Since October 2025 I’ve been traveling once more, solo as always, and I don’t plan to stop anytime soon.
Looking back, that flight changed my life in ways I couldn’t have imagined. I learned so much about myself, about other cultures, and my whole perspective on life opened up. Of course it wasn’t always fun – there were amazing moments but also really tough ones, and that’s the truth about solo travel you don’t always see on social media. But who said it should be easy? If it was, where is the challenge, right?!
If I could give you one piece of advice it would be: BOOK the ticket. Start small if you have to – a weekend, a week, whatever feels possible. But take that step. Because sometimes one flight is enough to change everything. And worst case, you at least get a funny story out of it.