my fear of traveling

How can you join me on my jet? It's ok, you're not alone. I hate travelling too! When i was a kid i got lost in a department store. lol!

Well, my job entails a lot of travel. I do have fear of getting lost. But of course, its like an adventure for me. I think that most important thing here is that you have the funds. For as long as you have the funds then there is nothing to worry. That is why, when I travel, I always make some research whether I can afford the trip.

You should not let that deter you from travelling. For a start, you can go in a group, so that you are always with other people and there is a group leader who's job it is to look after you and make sure that you don't get lost. Or you can go with a companion who is more experienced in travelling and who will look after you. If you are on on your own though, get a good guide book and a good map of where you are going to, and study them both before you go so that you are already quite familiar with the place before you even get there. Also, when you are there, always be aware of where you are on the map and take note of any landmarks as you go along. And if you can't read a map...LEARN! Map Reading is a valuable life skill. Bon Voyage

I love traveling and have mostly have had great times in the destinations that I have been to. I went to Slovakia and was in small town at its bus station and couldn't find a bus that would take me to Poland. I thought a bus would do so I got on it but it didn't as far as I thought it would. So I went back to the bus station and asked "Does anyone speak English please?" Luckily a Polish boy of 15 years old did and he helped me find the right bus. Funnily I saw him and his dad again in Poland when I was looking at a lake. We exchanged addresses and it was lovely when he visited London and I showed him some of the sights. In Bulgaria a couple of years ago and in Estonia I got lost because some streets were unmarked. I love traveling and will always do so. In January I am going to Cape Town.

Traveling is indeed an enjoyable pursuit for many people, one which allows a person to explore the world and broaden one's horizon. I too enjoy traveling and holidaying each year, and have been traveling for more than 20 years. I was like you in my early years of travel because I have this fear of getting lost in a distant land, and not knowing how to get in and out of airports, move around in a country, get to places I'd like to visit, etc. So I did the next best thing...go on conducted trips where they are fully guided and practically everything is arranged for me. I just have to follow the directions of the guide on my trips. Then over time, I started experimenting with a mixed arrangement, where I still booked a conducted trip but at the end, I extended a couple of days and went exploring on my own. It was fun, and so when I mustered enough courage, I decided to go on fully free and easy arrangements where I plan my own itinerary, book my own hotels, flights and car hire (usually through a local agent). I found I enjoyed my holiday much more that way because I had total freedom where I wanted to go and what I wanted to see. I did get lost on some of my trips, especially when driving to remote towns and cities, even though I am quite good at map reading. But getting lost is part of the fun of traveling, as long as you don't panic. At times, I have lost time taking a wrong turn and discovering after driving another 10Km that the landmarks were not what I expected, so had to backtrack all the way to the point where I made the wrong turn. I remember on one trip in South-Western Australia, I made some wrong turns and ended the day reaching my destination in darkness, partly because the daylight hours were shorter. Before reaching the town, I was driving in darkness and it was a little scary, and when I reached the town, we didn't have any hotels booked, and we had some unsettling moments trying to find rooms and dinner. I have since learned to give myself more time on my driving holidays to allow for getting lost and losing time as a result.

The first time when I got lost was at the age of 5 right next to the supermarket. It was my first big travel experience (3miles away from home, oh my) and I got lost. Then I went all the way back home, as I remembered the way, and attented my Mom at the door. She was terrified when realized that she lost me. The end was good, I was still raised up by my parents, right? You should not be afraid from traveling. It is just a huge distance, but You will always find Your way back home. And there are always people around You (evil or generous one- You will find it out by Yourself) whom You can ask for help and directions. Good luck!