In September I boarded a plane, solo; without Nick or friends. At 31, I took my first solo international trip. I was a little nervous. My stomach was doing flips as it does right before a roller coaster drops. A bit of fear mixed with a bit of excitement. I was attending the Google Developer Days in Krakow, Poland. It was a last-minute trip, and I had to prepare for it in less than three weeks.

Traveling solo was intimidating because Nick and I have a system. We divide up the tasks. He books the flight; I book the room. He reads the maps; I find cultural sites to visit. However now, I am in charge of everything.

I landed in Germany after a very long uncomfortable flight. I left one of my portable chargers on the plane. Luckily, I had a second one. I was so tired, and left the airport foolishly, without getting more details from my Airbnb host. I had the apartment address, but not the individual apartment number. So here I am, in a residential neighborhood of Berlin, at 11 p.m., going up and down a quiet street trying to figure out my way. I almost broke down because I was so tired. One hour later, my host found me. I apologize thoroughly, as it was Tuesday night and she had work the next day.

Five hours later, I was up and had to face the day at the conference tired. I showered and ordered an Uber. My Uber driver was nice. He was from Turkey, and his friendly conversation lifted my spirits. It was a reminder that I was in another beautiful country and to get over my tiredness.

My one hour flight had six, 20 something-year-old boys who were hungover. It made me laughed because it reminded me of an episode of Entourage, just in German. I arrived at the conference, drank two cups of coffee, and I made it through.

After a long day at the conference, I needed a rest. I got in another uber and made it to my second Airbnb. A nice solo loft all to myself. Thank God, I had it all to myself because my period decided to come. Thankfully Nick put some feminine products in my bag, but not enough. Yes, he put them in my bag. He also, put extra aspirin, and bug bite cream in my bag.

So I drank some tea, ate some food, and fell asleep. The next day, I explored Poland, bought more feminine products, and ate food.

I left Poland with a sense of pride. I had finished my first international solo trip with more travel skills. A big step outside my comfort zone.