This past week, I took my first solo flight to visit my best friend in Texas. I've flown in planes multiple times with my family, but never by myself. Here are some things I learned about traveling on my own:

1. Figure Out Ahead Of Time What To Do About Parking!

Especially flying out of Newark or any other major airport, you're going to pay A LOT to park overnight for your whole trip. I was lucky that my wonderful boyfriend loves to drive, and took me all the way to the airport! Either way, make sure you're prepared ahead of time!

2. Pay Attention!

It's incredibly important to be aware of your surroundings all the time, but especially at the airport. Make sure you're keeping an eye on your belongings and paying attention to where you're going - anything can happen.

3. Bring A Book - Or Something Else To Do! (Or Portable Charger.)

When you're traveling alone, you usually don't have anyone to talk to unless you like talking to strangers! Bring a book to read while standing in line for security or waiting for the plane. And, most importantly, bring that portable charger!

4. Be Responsible

This goes along with being aware - know when your flight is coming, what you have to do when you get there, and how to get to where you need to be.

5. It's Not As Scary As It Seems!

I promise, even if you've never been on a plane in your life, as long as you know where to go, you can do it. Airports actually make it super easy to navigate your way around, and if you're totally stuck, there are plenty of people working there who know where to and how to direct you.

6. Be Ready To Spend Time With Yourself

One of the best and worst things about traveling alone is all of the time you get to spend to yourself. Be prepared for all that thinking/working/reading/whatever else you like to do time.

7. People Watching Is SO MUCH FUN

While I was waiting for my plane to arrive, I people-watched in the airport. I'm a storyteller, so watching people go by was fun for me because I tried to guess where they were coming from, where they were going, and more. You will see some really interesting people, trust me.

8. You'll Learn How YOU Travel

I've always traveled with my family, and I learned quickly that traveling by myself made for a very different experience. You have no one to take care of besides yourself - take advantage of that and learn from it!