I write a "diary" when I travel and for whatever reason I feel compelled to share(maybe cause it's my first solo trip??). Enjoy!(this is a straight up copy from my word document it's not written for other people, I'm happy to answer questions tomorrow morning)How it all started:When I was 20, my parents asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday. I told them I wanted to take a trip with Ryan. Boston was the destination and they were all for it, mom and dad had been once and had a blast so they figured, why not let the boys experience it? Problem was, I got a yes far before they had a plan. I guess, I dunno. Maybe they just didn’t think I was ready for travelling. Maybe it was just another promise broken. In any case, instead of going to Boston for my 21st, I spent in a bar getting drunk, alone. My family didn’t come visit me in my college town, and my roommates were out of town. It’s no one’s fault really, and I like being alone most of the time anyway.Fast forward 3 years, I’m something resembling a full grown adult. I’ve got a job, an apartment to myself, and slight drinking problem I’m working through. For months now I’ve been telling myself “Boston is almost in reach, just gotta be careful with the money.” Lo and behold, mom sends me the text and offers to pay for my plane ticket. The trip is now funded in full. It’s my first solos trip ever, I’ve been to plenty of states in groups or with my brother. But never just me.Day 1:The leadup to the flight was nothing major if I’m being honest, mom was late as per usual so we had to reroute from me taking Marta to the airport to her just driving me there. No big deal. Security was a breeze and the Delta Comfort class was perfect for the leg room. Though I could still use about another 2 inches of width.Touchdown in Boston.It’s terrifying. I’m an introvert, staying in a hostel. Sharing a room with strangers that barely speak English. My anxiety in this city is through the roof, mostly because I have no fucking clue where I am at any given moment. I started to learn the streets to some extent by the end of the day but I’m in no way confident. Anyway, after I got settled into my cot, I walked around Boston Commons for a bit. That shit is gorgeous! The ponds, the statues, all of it. I took a ton of photos and managed to pop into Cheers for a minute, thought it was full so I just left. Gonna try to grab a beer there later this weekend. Outside of that, I really just wandered aimlessly. Boston is a beautiful city with fascinating architecture and a ton of culture. I watched street performers, ate in a pub that’s clearly been around for a while, and saw the Blue Man Group live. That one was weird. I really should have researched them more than I did, because boy I was shocked. I had no idea how involved the crowd is supposed to be which is really just not my gig. I almost got put on stage and could literally FEEL my heart pounding in my chest. Great show, just wish I’d been more prepared for it.So here I am, sitting in my hostel drinking vodka and diet coke trying to get sleepy enough to go to bed. Day 2 is gonna be all about the Fenway area. Sam Adams, Museum of Fine Arts, and Fenway herself are calling my name. I’m excited. But in the same breath I’m realizing I need to slow down a little. I lost a lot of sleep today due to trying to go to some bar that was mentioned to me in passing. I need to think about these decisions more before I just go “yup, that’s the move.” via /r/solotravel https://ift.tt/2TLqsz7