My (M29) girlfriend (F28) bought us tickets to the Eras tour in another country. I have never travelled internationally before. I’m an introvert and she’s my extrovert handler.
Any survival tips for this situation?
Get some very comfy shoes since you’ll be walking A LOT most likely.
International travel is great for introverts - you’re surrounded by people speaking a language you don’t understand. That can be quite isolating if you want it to be.
Ripley said:
International travel is great for introverts - you’re surrounded by people speaking a language you don’t understand. That can be quite isolating if you want it to be.
The foreign country in this case is Canada lol
Ripley said:
International travel is great for introverts - you’re surrounded by people speaking a language you don’t understand. That can be quite isolating if you want it to be.
Yes! It took me so long to understand why I felt so relaxed when I lived abroad.
First, if you don’t have a passport - get it now and get it expedited. Second, which country? Third, travel is good for everyone - even introverts.
Winter said:
First, if you don’t have a passport - get it now and get it expedited. Second, which country? Third, travel is good for everyone - even introverts.
For your first international trip, embrace her extroverted energy! Pack essentials, keep travel documents safe, and download maps and translators. Let her lead socially, but stay open to new experiences. Enjoy the concert and adventure together!
It’s perfectly fine to have alone time. As a former solo traveler, I wasn’t used to having someone always around.
Have an open discussion about your expectations and how you would address potential conflicts and disagreements.
If you’re going there specifically for the concert don’t expect to have much time to travel around the city unless she’s specifically booked enough days for it.
You’re likely going to get to that country and will lose basically an entire day to getting ready, lining up early, socializing in the lines, etc., and then the concert in the evening.
Make sure to have enough water, food, snacks, etc. handy.
Find out how she wants to do the trip. When I’m traveling with others, I like one of us to take a significant lead. I’m ok either going along for the ride with a couple of requests or doing all the planning and letting them tag along. But trying to balance both stresses me out. Since you haven’t traveled internationally before and she booked the trip, it sounds like she may want to take the lead and you just need to go along for the ride, but you should get on the same page about that.
Either way, I would research the destination and choose a handful of things you want to do. List them in order of importance from “must see” to “if we have spare time, this sounds like it could take up a few hours quite nicely.” It really helps me when I’m planning and also when I’m on my trip if I know which things I don’t want to miss. I’m less likely to leave feeling regretful or unfulfilled.
Check out posts here and on r/onebag to get an idea of how best to pack compactly. Especially if you have plane changes, it can be stressful (at least to me) worrying about a checked bag getting lost.
Watch a YouTube video on what scams are run in the city/ country you are in.
Wear a fanny pack or crossbody bag.
Get cash from the bank. They have to order the bills so don’t wait until the last minute.
Don’t overpack, you don’t need 5 pairs of pants. Black jeans work everywhere.
Buy a power inverter; they have different plugs.
@Jody
Agree with everything except money from the bank. You usually get better exchange rates at a bank ATM in country.
Ellery said:
@Jody
Agree with everything except money from the bank. You usually get better exchange rates at a bank ATM in country.
My exception was Mexico where ATMs often didn’t work so it was much better my second time when I brought cash. Went through it all so much faster than I expected haha.
Depending on the country, it will be civilized just like where you already live.
But go out and see the city and do some sightseeing so that when you’re 60+ you won’t regret NOT going out and seeing the sights of the city.
Do the sightseeing and touring stuff when you’re young as it gets so much harder the older you get.
@Unclewaffl3s
It’s Canada, not too exotic 
that’s the last stop of the eras tour, that’s how I know without OP specifying.
Kirby said:
@Unclewaffl3s
It’s Canada, not too exotic
Yeah, I was about to say the same thing; it’s Canada Vancouver if I remember correctly.
Part of the fun of traveling is you can be whoever you want to be. I’m pretty introverted myself but when I travel I pretend I’m outgoing and I’ve led entire bar crawls before. The world is your oyster.
Oh and buy a crossbody bag/fanny pack. Super utilitarian and also keeps you relatively safe from potential pickpockets. I regret not buying one earlier.
Make copies of your IDs and see how your phone plan, bank, and credit card companies handle international charges. Check if you need visas or any shots. Invest a little time and help your gf plan it and do something that shows true appreciation.
Get a suitcase with backpack straps or a rolling suitcase.
Don’t overthink and go with an open mind. You can watch hours of YouTube videos about a place but you won’t know how it actually is until you’re there in real time. Also, the thrill and joy of travel comes from being surprised by new things.