A One-Way Ticket and a Thousand Feelings – My Last Weeks Before Mexico

These days, I sometimes feel like a fifteen-year-old teenage girl with exaggerated mood swings. Excitement dominates – but fear, doubts, nerves, and uneasiness sneak in again and again.

I already know this emotional chaos from my very first solo trip, a one-month train journey through Europe four years ago. You would think that by now, as a more experienced solo traveller, I’d be calmer. But the truth is: every time feels like a little challenge. But maybe it’s exactly this thrill that makes it all so exciting in the first place.

How Do You Prepare for a Journey Without an End Date?

In many ways, having some travel experience is a huge advantage. At least I don’t need to worry about the basics anymore, like a credit card, a travel backpack, or vaccinations. In case you’re planning a longer trip yourself or are just curious about what good preparation looks like, feel free to check out one of my older posts: I Pack My Suitcase And Take With Me …

Still, there are a few important things to take care of this time too. Most important is getting the right travel insurance. Here the rule is: better safe than sorry. Because if you get sick abroad and need medical help, it can quickly cost you a fortune.

For certain countries, you also need a visa. Luckily, I can skip that process as an EU citizen in Latin America. Still, there are entry requirements, such as showing an onward ticket upon arrival. That can be tricky when, like me, you’re traveling with a one-way ticket.

When Preparation Gets Expensive

My longest backpacking trips – meaning those where I truly lived out of a backpack – have so far never lasted more than two months. This time will be different. Of course, I don’t want to spend all my savings before I even leave. Yet right now, a good portion of my budget goes into weekly Amazon orders and drugstore shopping. Not the best feeling – after all, I’d much rather spend the money during my travels.

But I also know: good preparation can save you unnecessary costs on the road. And if you need tips on what absolutely has to be in your backpack for a long trip, check out my packing list post.

Like with the annual car check-up, I always go through a few medical check-ups before longer journeys. My dentist confirmed that my wisdom teeth can stay in for a while longer. And my cardiologist checked my recently high pulse – luckily, everything’s fine. Maybe it’s just the rising excitement.

Saying Goodbye – The Hardest Part

For me, the last weeks before a trip are less about organization and much more about emotions.

While I slowly pack up my very first own apartment – with a tear in my eye – I try to spend as much time as possible with friends and family. On the one hand, I truly enjoy these moments. On the other hand, there’s always the thought in the back of my mind: what if this is the last time I’ll see them for a long while?

At the same time, I make sure not to neglect my me-time. Especially now, with so many impressions and emotions to process, I need these quiet moments more than ever.

A little personal tip: before long travels, I like to write a list of things I want to do before I leave. For example, mine included eating Kaiserschmarrn and Neapolitan pizza, visiting my friends at their new place of study and a friend in Madrid.

Doubts and Insecurities

In the past weeks, I’ve been accompanied by plenty of doubts and insecurities. While most people around me are working, earning money, or continuing their studies, I’m preparing for another journey to Latin America – without really knowing what I’ll be doing there or what to expect.

Sometimes I ask myself: What am I even doing here?

And I also wonder what others might think. Do they believe I’m crazy? (Maybe a little craziness belongs to this kind of trip anyway.) I’m definitely not taking the conventional path. And although I know that most of these doubts exist only in my head, it still means a lot to me when I receive positive feedback – often in the most unexpected moments.

Sadly, we say far too rarely what we truly think or feel. And yet, a few genuine words of encouragement could give someone so much confidence.

Gratitude and Courage

Maybe the chapter you‘re most afraid of will be your favourite one.

Despite all my doubts and fears, I am glad – and a little proud – to be walking my own path. Nothing and no one is holding me back. Quite the opposite. Even if everything were to go wrong, I know I’ll always have my home in Austria. My friends and my family, who support me – even if they might secretly wish I wouldn’t leave the country again. Especially my parents, who are my greatest support, and for that I am endlessly grateful.

And even though my departure to Mexico is not that far away anymore, I know from experience: it won’t truly hit me until I’m on the plane.

Final Thoughts

Between excitement, nervousness, and doubts, I still try not to let anything hold me back and to somehow keep walking my own way. Maybe that’s exactly what makes traveling so special: you can prepare as much as you want, but in the end, there will always be a bit of uncertainty. And maybe it’s exactly this uncertainty that makes traveling the adventure it is.

So now I’m curious about you: Did you have similar fears or insecurities before your trips? How do you deal with goodbyes? And do you prefer to prepare thoroughly or just let things happen as they come?

Bussi Baba!