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Over the past several years, I’ve traveled solo to 38 countries, visiting everywhere from Scotland and Turkey to Zanzibar and Albania.

And even though I consider myself to be a confident traveler, this self-assurance didn’t happen overnight. Instead, it grew slowly after imperfect trips and countless mistakes.

Here are five mistakes I’ve made — and learned from — over the years.

Waiting for circumstances to be perfect

In the past, I often found myself waiting for the perfect circumstances to travel: the right moment to take time off from work, a group of friends to travel with, or the perfect body to wear a bikini.

Looking back, I realized I had spent years putting my life on hold. Every excuse became another trip I didn’t take and another experience I missed out on because I was waiting for a version of myself or my life that didn’t exist.

Eventually, though, I realized that perfection isn’t possible or realistic.

If I had kept waiting for the “right” time, I never would have hiked Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, learned to surf in Brazil, or watched the sunrise while sailing down the Nile River.

Those experiences didn’t happen because everything aligned perfectly. They happened because I decided to go despite my hesitations.

Trying to manufacture magic instead of living in the moment

I’ve been on many types of solo trips — from stays in rundown hostels to all-inclusive resorts — and each one has been completely different. Some were pure magic, and others were disastrous.

In the past, I found myself spending too much time trying to replicate the magic of my favorite travel experiences. But every time I tried to force that magic, I ended up disappointed.

Instead, I realized my favorite travel memories were the ones where I leaned into however I was feeling that day and purely existed. Good or bad, I was able to handle whatever life threw at me while being fully present.

Not implementing safety protocols

When I first started traveling, I was naive to the idea that I’d have to protect myself. But after a few scary experiences, I learned the importance of being hyper present in my surroundings.

For me, that means not walking around with both headphones in, keeping my phone tucked away while navigating new areas, and having the number for the local police on speed dial.

I always pay attention to who’s around me, especially at night. If a situation feels sketchy, I trust my intuition and leave.

Another thing I like to do is download Google Maps and Google Translate in the local language to my phone. This way, if my WiFi ever goes out, I can still find my way home.

Planning the itinerary down to the minute

On my first trip to Paris, I scheduled out every single activity I wanted to do: from touristy recommendations I found on TikTok to local suggestions from friends.

I found myself running around the city checking off boxes on my to-do list, rather than truly experiencing la vie en rose. It was my least favorite trip to date.

Since then, I’ve been to France six times, and every time I return, I do so without an itinerary. Instead, I let my French friends take me on little adventures around the city that they call home.

Now, when I travel to a new city, I create a bucket list with three to five must-see sights and a list of others I can visit if I have the time. This helps me avoid burnout while allowing me to be present and truly experience a location the way it deserves.

Traveling for the content instead of the experience

In my opinion, getting good travel photos is part of the fun. But one of the biggest solo travel mistakes I’ve made is treating content creation as the main objective rather than a side benefit.

If I find myself choosing restaurants because they’ll look good on Instagram, rushing through an attraction to get to the next photo spot, or constantly thinking about what I still need to capture, that’s usually my cue to pause.

After all, the reason I traveled was to enjoy myself, be present, learn something new, and actually experience where I am. Nice photos are just a bonus.