As a woman, the thought of travelling alone can be pretty intimidating.

When you don’t have a companion by your side, travelling to a distant country seems daunting. Will you be safe? Will you make friends? What if something goes horribly wrong?

10 Unbelievable Places You Need To Hike Before You Die

Yes, it can be difficult and uncomfortable at times – but ultimately you get to know yourself a lot better. I wouldn’t trade my experiences of travelling solo for anything.

If you are about to embark on a journey around the world, or you’re just planning on visiting a different country for the first time, here are a few things I wish I would have known to before going solo abroad…