Four weeks and countless joyous mistakes later, I settled in between the two camps. What I discovered over the course of my travels really came down to this: all I\u00a0could do to minimize risk was to\u00a0be smart.<\/p>\n
Ugh.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve all heard that tired phrase before \u2013 but what does it even mean to be smart<\/em>?<\/p>\n Glad you asked:<\/p>\n nenetus \/ Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n By doing my research, I feel that I accomplish a few things:<\/p>\n When I\u2019m a solo traveler, feeling like I sort of know what I\u2019m getting myself into helps a lot with mindset and some of the psychological stumbling blocks that I have encountered when I\u2019m alone in a new place for the first time.<\/p>\n eldar nurkovic \/ Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n When I go to a new place, I try to memorize phrases that, if I ever get into a sticky situation, could come in handy. It might seem crass, but learning how to say slangy expletives in Romanian <\/a>helped me fend off a couple of unwanted suitors during my time there. Not only is it brash and no-nonsense, but it also asserts that you aren\u2019t just a clueless tourist aimlessly wandering about. In addition to practical directional phrases, I always try to master some of this crass street talk\u00a0to seem like someone that others won\u2019t want to mess with.<\/p>\n Monkey Business Images \/ Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n And inevitably take lots of selfies.<\/p>\n When I went to Barcelona <\/a>solo, I knew that I wouldn\u2019t get the full experience without hitting up the beach and the up-all-night parties. And while I normally have nothing against tanning all day and dancing alone, I knew that I needed to find a squad to tag along with so that I could fully enjoy the entirety of what Barcelona had to offer me \u2013 as safely as I could.<\/p>\n For me, this meant chatting up my hostelmates at breakfast and finding a couple of other solo travelers that had the same vague itinerary in mind as I did. Together, we went to the beach and set up a nice rotation that had some of us in the water while the others were watching our stuff on land. At the end of our sunny day, we wandered together to the clubs that our hostel receptionist recommended and partied together \u2018till the cows came home.<\/p>\n Being in a group of young people who shared my language and itinerary did make me feel more comfortable, but I will also note that when I travel alone I always try to exercise responsible drinking practices. Remember that these new friends aren\u2019t longtime high school friends, they’re virtual strangers\u00a0\u2013 a smart solo traveler keeps this in the back of their mind.<\/p>\n Billion Photos \/ Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n Even though this one is so simple, it can be the hardest one to follow \u2013 after all, following your gut often means bowing out of a potentially exciting adventure or situation because you feel unsure about the outcome. It also means admitting that you made an error in judgment. I don\u2019t know about you all, but I hate admitting when I\u2019m wrong!<\/p>\nDo Your Research<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"nenetus](\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/shutterstock_252366133.jpg\")
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Commit a Couple of Important Phrases to Memory<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"eldar](\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/shutterstock_253893211.jpg\")
Find A Temporary Squad<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Monkey](\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/shutterstock_275521511.jpg\")
Follow Your Gut<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Billion](\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/shutterstock_308357075.jpg\")
![\"EpicStockMedia](\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/shutterstock_344998439.jpg\")