By Lauren Juliff
Student Travel Expert, about.com
It might sound like travel is the worst possible thing for an introvert to do. There's all the people in hostels, the sounds and unfamiliar scents that disorientate you, the stress of having to communicate in a language you don't speak -- there are a lot of barriers for introverts.
The
good news is that most introverts find that travel actually helps
improve their introvertedness. After several weeks or months speak
hanging out with many people in dorm rooms, people find that being
around large groups of people no longer exhaust them in the way they
used to.
If you're an introvert and are worried about how you'll
handle travel, read on for tips for making your trip as energizing as
possible:
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Don't Be Afraid to Tell People
For a long
time, I found travel exhausting because I was too afraid to tell people
that I was an introvert. I didn't want to be judged, so I'd force myself
into activity after activity, until I was so exhausted that I could
barely function anymore.
It reached the point when I would dread making good travel friends because I knew I'd end up drained in just a few days.
That
all changed the moment I started telling friends that I was an
introvert. I realized that nobody would judge me for needing some
private time, and I ended up enjoying my travels a lot more as a result.
If you're an invert, you should make sure to drop it into conversation
so people understand you just need to replenish your energy levels every
so often.
[post_ads]Work Private Room Stays Into Your Budget
Travel can be exhausting if you're an introvert and dorm rooms can exacerbate this. Be sure to budget for a few private room
stays into your trip so you can have time to recover. Treat these days
as relaxation -- watch TV shows on your laptop, take naps, and wander
outside to read a book in a cafe.
Be Wary of Large Group Tours
If
you want to take a multi-day tour, make sure to look up the group size
before you book it. Tours involving 20 people are likely to leave you
needing a vacation afterwards, whereas small group tours of four or five people will be more more enjoyable.
Look for Non-Party Hostels
Party
hostels can be fun for a few nights, but you don't want to spend much
more than that or you'll find yourself desperately craving some sleep.
When you book your hostel, take a look at the reviews and if anyone
mentions not being able to sleep because of noise or partying, consider
staying elsewhere.
Pack Earplugs
If there isn't any way
for you to get some alone time, pack some earplugs so you can block out
any distractions when you need to. They'll help if you have a snorer in
your hostel, if your dormmates are being loud, or you simply want to
block out the sounds of life on a long bus journey.
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Take a Kindle
Reading
is a great way to replenish your energy levels, and owning a Kindle
means you'll have a near-infinite supply of books to get through. Set it
up with some of your favorite reads before you leave and add to it as
you visit more places and are looking for new authors to discover.
