Last January, I was invited to speak in London at the Pocket Gamer’s Conference. I was thankful to God for giving me this one-time (but hopefully not just one- time) opportunity and privilege. As I had to travel solo with no relatives and no one to fetch me at the airport, this opportunity came with frightening "perks".
How do I get to my accommodation coming from the airport?
How do I get to the conference venue?
How do I get to my destination using the tubes?
What if I get lost?
AND what the hell is an Oyster Card?
Yes, all these worries (and more) were in my mind BEFORE I came to London. Hence, I did a lot of internet research, familiarised myself with the venues , and asked a lot of friends who had stayed or toured in London before. Needless to say, thanks to Google Street View. But the fact is I WAS STILL TRAVELLING ALONE.
This is great opportunity to build my career and who cares if I get lost? And yes, I did get lost.
CONFIDENCE BUILDING TIP #1: Who cares if I get lost?
The “Bahala Na” attitude is a great way to start building your confidence. Not worrying what would happen to you or what the future holds as long as you enjoy every moment. And when you get lost, there’s no harm in asking someone for directions? Ano ba mawawala sa iyo?
I arrived in London on January 15, 2016. Based on the landlady’s directions, I had to take the Picadilly line on tube and get off at Bounds Green Station. The house is just a few-minute walk away from that station.
FUN FACT: After watching countless videos about the London Underground and their Oyster Cards, I still had no idea how the underground and Oyster cards work! Hahahaha!! I had to ask one of the officers to purchase an Oyster Card for me.
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| Welcome to London |
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| Where are the people, mate? |
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| Finally, found the conference venue |
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| The Brewery |
CONFIDENCE BUILDING TIP #2: Ask around!
A lot of shy people (and even people with social anxieties) tend NOT to ask around. Probably, because of their past experiences that led them to their rejection. For whatever reason, these experiences made them insecure. They don’t think they’re worth it. And this feeling of insecurity digs down deep into their emotions. By traveling solo, you have NO OTHER OPTION BUT TO DISREGARD YOUR INSECURITIES AND ASK AROUND....OR ELSE YOU'll BE DAMNED. Thus, this will build your confidence even more.
Heck, I was even tempted to ask a favor from one of cashiers at the supermarket if she can text my landlady for me. Di gumagana ung susi na binigay sa akin ng landlady! Di ako makapasok sa bahay at wala akong local sim # para itext cya! Hahahahah!
While I was sitting around at the London Heathrow Airport, my mind was continuously saying, “Rexcel, anong kalokohan ang pinasok mo! Mag-isa ka sa London! Paano kapag nagkaproblema ka dyan?”
However, I had to resist this negative mindset and fought it with these words, “I arrived in London successfully. Next step is to take the tube and get off at Bounds Green Station. Just take one step at a time.”
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| One step at a time |
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| Landmark just in case I get lost |
CONFIDENCE BUILDING TIP #3: One step at a time
When you’re off to an adventure alone, it’s always nice to take one step (problem) at a time! Sometimes we worry about everything at once and it becomes a chaos inside our head. Just take one step at a time. Solve one problem at a time. This will minimise all your worries. By solving one problem at a time, you do get a little boost of confidence.
Thank God, I finally arrived at my accommodation.
A tour of my homestay
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| Cozy bed |
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| Quite a big room |
A tour of my homestay
On my second day in London, I familiarised myself with the area and tried to find the conference venue by myself WITHOUT ANY GPS! Needless to say, I got lost. I even found myself inside a cemetery. I tried to ask (and look for some) people around but since it’s a weekend, there were a few people in the area. Most of them probably were at home. It’s a good thing I familiarised myself with the area.
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| The cemetery |
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| Duck and Waffles |
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| Duck and Waffles |
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| London Eye |
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| Westminster Abby |
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| Big Ben |
The iconic telephone booth
Where is this?
Tower Bridge
Trafalgar Square
Buckingham Palace
It’s always a good thing to familiarise yourself with the area if you’re traveling alone. When you’re leaving the house, always make sure you know which train or bus station you last took. So when you get lost, you have an idea on how to get home. By familiarising yourself with the area, you at least know where to go just in case something bad happens.
I spent a week in London. Two days were allotted in the conference while the other days were spent inside a supermarket, coffee shops, restaurants and talking to strangers. I also toured around the British Museum, Buckingham Palace, Southwark, St Pauls, National History Museum, Science Museum and even travelled as far as Uptown Park just to get to the Doctor Who Store--na parang Manila hanggang Pampanga ang layo!
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| St Pauls Cathedral |
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| British Museum |
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| The first ever library |
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| The Rosetta Stone. I almost died. |
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| National History Museum |
CONFIDENCE BUILDING TIP #5: TALK TO STRANGERS
When you’re comfortable at your own locale, you really don’t want to talk to strangers. You have friends to talk to anyway! But when you’re alone in a new country, DO TALK TO STRANGERS! A lot of shy people are afraid to talk to strangers because they are afraid that these strangers might have a wrong opinion about them. BUT who cares if you did something wrong or inappropriate, you’re going to leave anyway. In most cases, they won’t even remember you! In fact, you can even try fake your own identity or pretend to be someone else in another city or country. And yes, faking who really are would be fun! *evil grin*
I arrived safely in the Philippines on January 23, 2016. It was a great and awesome adventure! I sometimes have nostalgic moments about my trip in the UK but compare these...
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| Snowing in London |
...to this
NAPAKAGANDA PA RIN NG PILIPINAS! Off to my next adventure!
