First Time Travelling Abroad: Travellers Share Their Stories

The first time travelling abroad, out of your hometown, or the first time you retain a memory of travelling, can be daunting, thrilling, overwhelming, and life changing. It truly is a moment that can take you on a rollercoaster of emotions. 

The first time I fully remember travelling aboard was when I flew to the U.K., aged 5, and was fortunate to explore all the childlike wonders of London and Cardiff in the summer. Prior to this, my vague recollections of any kind of holiday were to the sandy beaches of Mombasa and Malindi. So, as I stepped out of the cab and on to the busy streets of London, I was shocked to find myself in a metropolis that reminded me of Nairobi but couldn’t be more different from where I grew up.

Legoland, ice cream vans, Buckingham Place and Cardiff Bay are just a few of the many attractions that blew my young mind and helped me form everlasting memories that have bonded me with these cities forever. I reminiscence blue skies, sweet peaches, rock candy, pebble beaches, fruit farms and buzzing theme parks – a perfect recipe for the perfect unforgettable summer. 

It was pure bliss.

Perhaps it was during this time that I unknowingly caught the travelling bug. However, what I can say for sure, is that every time I recollect and even from this trip, I feel a boost of endorphins, and that is what travel should always do for us. It should be an experience that makes us sentimental about a paradise-like moment, or if it was a horror story – and these do happen – it should be an event you can look back on and laugh.

If we are lucky, we all have an instance that defines or inspire us as travellers.

Here are eight traveller bloggers on their first time travelling abroad. Let their words inspire, encourage and motivate you to take the plunge and book you first overseas holiday!

Kaitlyn of Carry On Only Travel

The First Morning Changed My Life

I grew up around family members jet-setting around the world. When I was young, I spent hours flipping through their photo albums asking them so many questions like “how busy were the souks in Turkey?” and “where did you go in Bangkok on the rickshaw?”. I chose Kuala Lumpur for my first time travelling abroad solo, and it was everything I imagined. 

The first morning I woke up and heard the Adhan (the call to prayer from the Mosque a few streets away) and I began to cry. It was so beautiful. (Little did I know I would convert to Islam a few years later!) I explored the city by myself. Visited many mosques and temples, climbed the stairs to Batu Caves, wandered around the forest in the middle of the city, ate street food, got lost in the expansive Central Market, jumped on and off the trains and met incredible people. The smells, the sights and the sounds were all so different to my little suburb in Australia. I loved it all and embraced the diversity I was experiencing everywhere. I will always remember sitting outside the National Mosque of Malaysia listening to the Adhan and watching everyone walking in to begin their prayers. It changed my soul and heart in a good way. Everyone I met during my first trip abroad were so kind and helpful, and it gave me the confidence and strength moving forward, knowing I could do this by myself, and everything would be ok.

Instagram: carry.on.only.travel

Ana of Travels The World Online 

That Special Something

From a young age I recall connecting travels abroad with fun and invigorating experience. Throughout my 25 years that perception hasn’t been altered. My very first time travelling abroad was my mother’s planning and realisation. I was ecstatic before it was to take place, and after, I kept wanting more and could never get enough. I love experiencing new cultures, new foods, and meeting people from different cultural backgrounds. I thrive on the “day to day life” trips give me. I am never more centred, collected and in the present than when I am on the road. It was a feeling of inner peace, one could say, sprinkled with excitement of the new and unexpected! 

My first solo trip took place after the second year of university. I packed a backpack, met up with two friends from different parts of the world, and ventured to Cuba for a month’s long trip! Cuba used to be a world so distant from Europe, where we were all connected with internet. We had no phones and no internet for a month! We went door to door asking for accommodation all while learning Spanish. The experience I had enriched me in many ways. I encourage everyone to search for that one thing that makes you feel so centered and alive as I feel when traveling, because when you find that special thing, it is in the very moment you start living!

Instagram: traveltheworldonline

Tina of Veganderlust 

I Discovered My Love For Travel On My Semester Abroad

Living in Europe makes travelling abroad incredibly easy. For as long as I can remember, we would always spend summer holidays in Italy or Croatia with my family. However, the most memorable was when I travelled overseas on my own at 16 years old, to study abroad in California for half a year. It was a bit scary to go on such a long journey all on my own at this age, but it turned out to be an amazing adventure, and it is where I discovered my love for travel. Since then, I’ve travelled to 26 countries and there are so many places left on my bucket list!

Instagram: tina.veganderlust

Victoria of Guide Your Travel

A Trip To Kuala Lampur 

My first time travelling abroad was to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. I was initially scared, but then grew to love the city over time even though it was a place unlike any I’d lived before. I was doing an internship for several months, so I had a lot of work but on the weekends, I forced myself to explore and step out of my comfort zone. Kuala Lumpur has a lot of things to do and some of my favourites were Thean Hou Temple, the Batu Caves and Petaling Street. I also went on a weekend trip with some new friends to Langkawi, an island in the north of Malaysia close to the Thai border. Eventually I managed to find a great group of friends and didn’t even want to say goodbye to the city by the end of my time there. A truly unforgettable place and an unforgettable first solo trip abroad.

Instagram: guideyourtravel_

Jessica of According To Jessica

Travelling To Europe As A Student Ambassador At Age 13

I had barely left the state of South Carolina when I won a Student Ambassador award at age 13. The trip was going to be a month long adventure around France, Italy, and Malta – and was my first time travelling abroad. My mom fundraised for months to raise the money so I could go on the trip. This was way before GoFundMe, so her fundraising efforts were strenuous, but she managed to scrap up the money for me to go and an extra $500 for my food and needs while away.

The trip forever changed my life. Without my parents there to guide me, I built confidence in myself. I had to quickly learn customs and bits of languages to get by. I visited places I didn’t even realize existed, heard a dozen foreign languages, and tried various cuisines. One of the best experiences I had was getting to stay with a Maltese family, in their home. The family was so kind and warm. Their home and food so different from what I was accustomed to. In the evenings we would go out and sit by the sea. Beverage carts lined the waters’ edge. It was so surreal. I’ve had the travel bug for the past 19 years because of that trip. I am forever grateful for it.

Instagram: accordingtojessicablog

Rachael of A Nomads Notebook

A Long-Awaited Journey 

My first time travelling aboard solo was a long-awaited one. Sure, I had been on holidays before, but this was the first time I was backpacking solo. I had dreamed of it since I was a teenager, and now here I was – standing in London Gatwick airport, having tearfully waved goodbye to my family. Walking through that boarding gate I felt myself physically turning a new page of my life. Starting a new chapter. It was overwhelming but so full of possibilities. 

I was inspired to travel by my aunt. When I was a child, I remember her travelling the world. I remember the postcards we would get, and the welcome home parties. She would be gone for a year or two at a time, and I always thought it looked so intriguing. Watching the videos of her skydiving and bungee jumping were breathtaking. 

I had chosen to travel from London, England to Australia. My dream backpacking destination! As a 27-year-old woman I worried that I would be too old compared to everyone else. Even if I was, that didn’t matter – people who travel all have similar mindsets. I quickly discovered that, and age didn’t matter anymore. What did matter, though, was managing my money. Suddenly I was learning to budget, and I found quite a few life skills doing so. That challenge just made everything more exciting, and I appreciated the adventures more. I also found love. In Sydney I met a man who is now my fiancé, and we travel the world, adventuring together. So that first trip changed my life in so many ways. It has its difficulties, but you make it worthwhile. 

Instagram: anomadsnotebook

Chelsea of Her Life Adventures 

Eyes Wide Open in Japan

My first international trip was to Japan for a business trip. The moment I stepped out of the plane my eyes shot open, my anxiety kicked in and my jaw dropped. I couldn’t read anything, I didn’t know where to go, and I just needed to use the restroom. When I found one, I was equally as shocked when I saw only squat toilets. I had no idea how to use it without getting pee all over myself. Everything was new to me. The language, the food, bathrooms, transportation, customs, everything. Both terrified and exhilarated at the same time, I made my way to the hotel. I remember experiencing the true meaning of “jet lag” for the first time. 

Throughout the work week, I was able to chat and work side by side with the locals. We ate at the manufacturing facility for free because the company provides free lunch for its workers, which I thought was very progressive – and no this was not a big tech company. Between mastering the bidet, growing accustomed to the business culture, and navigating my way through the train system, I was getting more comfortable with my surroundings. 

During the week I explored Kanazawa Castle Park and Kenroku-en, an old private garden throughout the grounds. The first weekend we had I went off and explored Kyoto. My favourite part was visiting Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama and hiking Fushimi Inari.

Instagram: @herlifeadventures_

Amber of Amber Everywhere

Amber In Guatemala 

I always knew that I wanted to travel abroad, but I didn’t have the opportunity until I was in college. The college I attended had a period every January called Jan Term – a time when you can take an intensive course or complete an intensive study over the course of a few weeks. A friend and I decided that Jan Term was the perfect time for us to complete an independent study abroad. A professor recommended that we check out a language school in Guatemala called Proyecto Lingüístico Quetzalteco (PLQ for short) where we would complete a homestay and daily tutoring in Spanish. It seemed like the perfect way to experience my first time travelling abroad while receiving academic support and credit. 

Having never done this before, I didn’t know what to expect. I researched the safety and security situation in Guatemala for many weeks, registered for STEP with the State Department (I still get the notifications) and asked every question I could think of. When I finally arrived in Guatemala City, I was so nervous that I had broken out in hives! The trip ended up being a resounding success. My friend and I loved the opportunity to improve our Spanish, tour parts of the country near Quetzaltenango, and make new friends with other visitors. Most of the other students at the school were from the US, but there were a few visitors from other countries too. Overall, it was a fabulous opportunity to learn about travel, and I have been traveling ever since. In fact, I even moved abroad and now live in Ireland.

Instagram: amber.everywhere