How to feel comfortable in a foreign place

Most people are so used to living in their bubble at home; they become terrified of being anywhere outside of it. Travelling is an excellent way to see the world, indulge in new experiences and step outside your comfort zone. You can enjoy the experience of visiting somewhere completely alien from your day-to-day life.

Many of us feel extremely anxious about travelling to a foreign place and terrified to stay there for the long term. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can minimise this anxiety and maximise your time abroad.

Go with a friend

You don’t need to travel alone. Travelling with a friend can help you build up your confidence in navigating a new place. You can share experiences with your friend, confide in each other when you are struggling and feel safer together.

If you don’t have a friend who wants to travel with you, you can also meet some pals when you are away. Join a few clubs, exercise classes and online Facebook groups with other local travellers. Make connections online before you move out or meet people in local places.

You could travel with a tour group if you are unfamiliar with travelling alone in a foreign country. Consider joining a Jordan tour to explore the beautiful desert with a group of new people.

Introduce aspects of the culture before you visit

You could try the local cuisine at home before heading off on your trip. Try cooking a local delicacy yourself or head to a restaurant in your hometown that serves the cuisine.

You could also try learning a few key phrases to help you communicate with the locals. Learning a small amount of the language can help you ask for directions, have conversations and order food. Join a language exchange class or use a language-learning app to help you get familiar with the local language.

Speak to people

Try to become a regular at a local café, bar, gym or cinema. Make yourself known there, talk to the staff and regularly attend to get familiar with the place. You will start to recognise a few familiar faces after a while and feel more comfortable every time you go.

Explore the area you are visiting and make an effort to try new places as well. Speak to local people for recommendations and any tips on how to use the local transport.

Embrace it!

Learning to embrace different cultures is a big part of travelling, and it can be incredibly rewarding. Prepare to adapt to the new culture and expect to feel a little uncomfortable at first. There will likely be cultural differences in customs, traditions and phrases. Try to embrace these differences and learn as you go along.