Best Posts in Thread: Traveling Solo

Traveling on your own is a breeze, as long as you ask the locals what's what you're sorted. Plane trips are nice, if your flight is at a time where you get a plane meal don't be afraid to ask for another serving because most of the time they will say sure! Also if you smash the wine with meals you'll sleep nicely so there's no need to hoof crying babies out of the emergency door.

 

depending on where you live i can say it is, it costs me near 1200 dollars to fly between australia and new zealand yearly and that's just for the tickets, even a one and a half hour flight in my country costs near 400 dollars return

 

I flew by myself for the first time ever in January!! I flew from Milwaukee WI to Nashville TN. I had a layover flight in Chicago on the way there, and in Atlanta Georgia on my way home. Milwaukee is two hours from where I live so my sister drove me there and walked me in as far as she could without having to go through security herself, and I had a friend waiting for me in Nashville when I landed so I wasn't worried about any of that. To be completely honest, I was so excited to finally fly for my first time but I cried once I got on the plane because the nerves finally got to me lol. Actually, I cried as soon as my sister left me at security. It was scary at first but by the time I was taking my first of two flights home, I was loving it! (Aside from the ice storms that had my flights canceled 3 times and my gates switched like 4 times).

If you don't have any layovers it's not that big of a deal but if you do, I highly recommend looking up the airport map and familiarizing yourself with where the gates and everything are. Download the Southwest Airlines app and you can I found it super stressful to be figuring that all out on my own. I was so horrified I was going to miss my flights or go to the wrong gate or be on the wrong side. (Which did happen! Luckily some girl was taking the same flights as me - from Milwaukee to Nashville. We were fortunate enough to get lost together and we helped each other when it came to the point where I had to remove my heels and run with her to our gate - 10 minutes before the flight lol)

 

What the heck.

 

To experience chicago to the fullest, I would suggest doing a lot of the less done activities instead because there are a lot of cool things to discover. Since I live close to chicago and go there regularly here are some places that I suggest you go to:

To start off your morning, go to a breakfast place called Wildberry Pancakes and Cafe during one of your visits in Chicago. The place has everything from nutella pancakes to a mexican style eggs benedict for dining and smoothies and other beverages to top it off. I’ll warn you though, the place is extremely busy and I suggest you come early in the morning. If you don’t have a reservation it’ll probably take you a solid 20 minutes to get seated. That isn’t much of a bother though, considering that the restaurant has a beautiful outline of the city and Millennium park right next to it. The food is outstanding, and it’s not worth missing. Take my word for it and go check it out on one of your days here.


The best part about being in the city is waking up early to see the city come to life. Going on the river walk in the early morning is a great way to go on a stroll and see some cool buildings as your passing through. This will lead you soon to the Merchandise Market, which is kind of fun to see. It’s a huge warehouse filled with a bunch of kitchens and other luxurious rooms that no one can afford, but it’s an interesting experience.

If you’re looking for a bite of some sorts I highly recommend going to the French Market below the Ogilvie Train Station. A lot of the vendors are expensive but the food ranges from a lot of variety. There’s good Bubble Tea, BBQ, vegan food, Italian food, Mexican food, etc that you can find. It’s closed on Sundays which you’ll have to watch out for but the whole market has a nice aesthetic and some food that has been checked out by food network stars.

Some gems of chicago are our museums and other public areas, like the Art Institute, Shed Aquarium, Field Museum, and the Museum of Science and Industry. These places will be somewhat pricey which is expected of most museums and anything really in Chicago but the experience is worth it. Personally, it comes close for me between the Field Museum and the Art Institute but all are great places. The Art Institute has great exhibits of ranging art and the Field Museum is bursting with history. One time on a fourth grade field trip we went there and I got lost and it took them 3 hours to find me. The place is huge and very interesting for anyone who loves history.

Last thing I wanted to mention are the Italian and Jewish neighborhoods. A lot of the districts that encompass a wide spread of cultures are dissolving these days which is a shame since you can get a feel as to how life is like for some of the people that live in or near Chicago. Some of the neighborhoods that are still closely knit are the Italian and Jewish neighborhoods. You can find good restaurants that don’t get enough attention and see other areas of the neighborhoods. In my opinion, Chicago is cooler the deeper you dive into it and stray away from the busy center.

That’s all I wanted to say but if you have any questions I’d be happy to answer them if you DM me. I don’t want to make this a longer essay than this already is lol but if you need anymore tips or suggestions I got tons of them.

Good luck! Guess that still doesn’t answer your original question though ahaha.

 

If you havent already bought plane tickets, typically seats by the emergency exits have a bit more leg space and are a lot more comfy.

 

I was in a similar position. I went to France with someone my age around a year ago, she had to leave early to meet her family in GB, so I was left to board a plane by myself. I was able to make it out alive in one piece despite being quite possibly the most absent minded person alive, so I'm sure you'll do fine.

Some great things to remember for airports is that you can stop and ask the many airport workers for directions at any time. Airports can be large and scary, but these guys are typically around everywhere and can help you if you need it. If you're stressed about the plane itself, remember that the chances of you dying in a car crash is tens of thousands of times more common then dying in a plane crash

Oh and remember to bring gum for the flight, great for popping your ears.