Exploring the world and traveling alone as a man – especially a Black man is a one of a kind experience. You have the street smarts to take chances and to be adventurous more than many other solo travelers. Use these tips to make the best of your journeys.

DON’T NEGLECT DOMESTIC AND NORTH AMERICAN TRAVEL

Despite America’s problems, it’s still a country that has a variety of facets to discover. The main pros of traveling domestically is familiarity with the country. There are gems all throughout the United States and its territories, but you have to get far enough away from home to experience them.

Consider checking out cities that have sizeable populations and offer a variety of cultural exposure. Places like Miami, L.A., NYC, Chicago, Houston, D.C. and San Francisco for example are all good options for such. But it’s not always the big cities you should check out. There are towns and rural areas in less popular parts of the country where nature and history abounds. There are unchartered mysteries and interesting people to meet across the country. Neighboring countries like Canada and Mexico can also supply you with enough of a break from the run of the mill experience that you’ve been seeking. Despite their proximity to the states, you’ll feel a significant difference.

STUDY GEOGRAPHY

Americans can generally be very lazy can be about geography even within their own country. Whether you’re staying stateside or going abroad in traveling alone as a man, you should be well versed in where things are in the world. Research the social and political climate of places of interest. When leaving the country, know the main religion(s) and language(s) spoken and proximity to other nations. Be a student again like when you were in school, but this time, you’re studying for your own personal expansion and perception of the world. 

HAVE A PLAN

In business, it’s a common understanding that you can have the best product or service in the world but if no one knows about it, you won’t make sales. Similarly, you can drive 6 states away or fly halfway across the world and find your trip underwhelming. Don’t expect opportunities to just fall at your feet upon your mere arrival. Even if you’re going to a place known for in your face entertainment like Vegas, still have an agenda and itinerary before you get there.

Map out some key things that would make your trip worthwhile.  As a rule of thumb, plan out one thing to see or do for the daytime and one thing to see or do for the evening.  If you don’t have a projected itinerary, you can easily end up being the guy who goes all the way to Italy for a few days and the only cuisine you experience is pizza. When you plan ahead, you can also travel efficiently. See if there are other areas within a couple of hours of flying or a few hours of driving that you would want to explore on the same trip.

MANAGE EXPECTATIONS

Don’t look at traveling as a default means to solve any of your problems. Even if there’s a part of the world that offers a social atmosphere that is more aligned with your personality and values it doesn’t mean that you are owed or guaranteed any particular experience from these places or from the people who reside there. Going to events for example, usually group people of like minds and interests together, but even in a more facilitated environment your enthusiasm won’t always be met.

Be prepared for only about half of what you imagined actually taking place and consider if it would still be worth it to go. Flights delays, unfavorable weather, banking issues, lost or stolen items, encountering scams, and poor service among other things are all possible kill joy’s.

Have a few different things that you can look forward to seeing or doing. This is a good way to avoid disappointment or a waste of money when something that you had your heart set on doesn’t go quite as planned. Traveling alone as a man requires you to exercise the emotional intelligence to find the advantages in your experiences. Some men travel internationally for escapades with beautiful, exotic women only to leave frustrated and broke. If things go totally according to plan in your travels, that’s fantastic! Still, be prepared to find contentment in other experiences in your travels.

MAKE A HEIRARCHY OF TRAVEL DREAMS AND BE FLEXIBLE

Traveling alone as a man means that you have the freedom to organize your desires into tiers of personal relevancy. Your first tier could be places that you feel that you must visit.  This is usually going to be because there are at least a couple of major things that would make the trip worth it. Your body will tell you how important these places are to you because you’ll feel the excitement thinking of it even while you’re laying down in bed. 

So, your list might be going to cities like: Bangkok and Rio de Janeiro.  Then you can make another tier of other places of high interest like Africa or the Philippines.  Then you can add a tier of places that are currently nice ideas: like the Caribbean or Europe for example. Take steps towards your travel destinations including getting a passport, purchasing the plane ticket or budgeting $100-$200 a month towards your trip.

Another thing you could do is check out travel destinations that are just good deals. Perhaps you come across an affordable cruise to the Bahamas or a weekend in New Orleans to take a break for a few days. This is how you can also build up your travel resume and make traveling a thing that you do as opposed to something that you want to get around to doing one day. 

GET THE #1 PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT GUIDE FOR BLACK MEN HERE ON AMAZON

Written By: Waymon Brown. Creator of theesquireproject.com. Email info@theesquireproject.com