How I Started Solo Traveling at 35: My First Solo Trip to Peru (And Everything That Went Wrong)

I was 35 when I decided to volunteer in Peru. I wasn’t straight out of college or taking a gap year. I had a job, responsibilities, and “adulting”. But I also had a feeling that I wanted something more or maybe just different. Looking for more than the predictable rhythm of my everyday life. So, I started researching volunteer programs and found a program to work at an orphanage  in Peru. This would be my first trip out of the country and all on my own. I booked the flight and then the adventure, I use adventure loosely because it was more than a “find yourself” trip.

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Where it Started

When leaving Minnesota, my first flight was delayed, which made me extremely anxious about missing my connection in Miami to Lima. Well, my second flight left early. I got to the gate and they told me it left 15 minutes ago. I felt my stomach drop and fear and anxiety began to take over. There were no other flights to Lima that night, I didn’t know what to do. The only option was catching the first flight out in the morning.

Sitting there with my luggage beside me, I questioned everything. Was this a sign I shouldn’t go? Was I making a mistake? I didn’t feel adventurous or confident. I felt completely lost and unsure. But the next morning, exhausted and still nervous, I boarded the next available flight. Not because I suddenly felt different, but because I didn’t want fear to make the decision for me.

Lima, Peru

At the time, my Spanish was extremely limited. I knew basic phrases, but I wasn’t comfortable or confident speaking and having conversations. Every interaction felt stressful, buying my bus ticket, confirming departure times, asking for directions, and trying to understand announcements over loudspeakers.

I remember sitting on that bus the next day, staring out the window as the city slowly disappeared. I was scared, but not in a dramatic way. Just doubts creeping into my mind. What am I doing? Can I really handle this? The bus ride was long, and I had plenty of time to question myself. But I didn’t get off. I stayed on that bus for eight hours, even though I was uncertain and uncomfortable.

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When I finally arrived in Lima, I felt a wave of relief, until I learned there was only one bus per day going to the small village where I would be volunteering. Because I had arrived a day late, I had missed the only bus. That meant I now had an entire unplanned day alone in Lima before taking an eight hour bus ride the following day. I hadn’t researched the city. I hadn’t prepared to navigate it on my own. And I didn’t speak very good Spanish so, I hired a driver for the day and he drove me around and showed me the city. I was able to see Lima from a local point of view, the best way to see cities and felt safe in the city.

Somewhere along that road, watching the landscape change and listening to conversations I couldn’t understand, something shifted. I realized I was doing something really hard for most people, and I was still moving forward, I didn’t give up. No one was coming to fix the situation for me. I had to figure it out. And I was. That was the real beginning of my travel life, not when I arrived at the village, but when I chose to keep going despite being afraid.

Creating Memories

The experience at the orphanage was amazing. I have always loved spending time with kids, but to be able to connect to kids who didn’t even speak my language, made me feel overwhelmed with emotion. They were so happy to spend time with us and just hang out and play games. It was simple, heartfelt, and genuine.  I felt like a different person when I left, not just because of the experience at the orphanage, I was also humbled by the fact that living in the US,  I was so fortunate. 

I always had enough food, I didn’t have to boil water before drinking it, I took hot showers every day, and I never really missed out on basic needs. I came back wanting to change how I lived. Don’t buy more than I need, use only what I needed, recycle, and reduce waste. Do my part.

More Speed Bumps

By the time my volunteer experience ended, I thought I had survived the most difficult parts of the trip. I was wrong. At the time of my trip, people leaving Peru had to pay a tourist departure tax (in cash) at the airport before flying home. I didn’t know that. Just before arriving at the airport, I had given all my remaining Peruvian money to the taxi driver because I didn’t want to keep local currency. When I reached the counter and realized I didn’t have enough money to pay the tax, I panicked. I started crying, convinced I was going to miss my flight home after everything I had already navigated. 

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Then something unexpected happened. One of the airport employees saw what was happening and quietly offered to lend me the money. A stranger, in a country where I barely spoke the language, was offering to help. I was overwhelmed by her kindness. When I returned to the United States, I sent her the money through Western Union as soon as I could. But what stayed with me wasn’t just the relief of catching my flight, it was the reminder that even in my most vulnerable moments, people could be generous and compassionate.

Looking back, I’m sure there were other, simpler ways to solve the problem, but when I go into fear and anxiety mode I can’t think rationally and emotions take over. I was overwhelmed, I felt stupid that I didn’t know or plan for this, I was just paralyzed with fear. That lovely lady I will never forget, offering me an olive branch in my time of crisis.

Returning Home

Obviously that first solo trip wasn’t smooth or glamorous. But it changed me. It taught me that things will go wrong when you travel. It taught me that you don’t need perfect language skills to survive. It taught me that confidence doesn’t come before you take the leap, it comes because you take it. Most importantly, it showed me that I was more capable than I had believed.

Looking back now, I’m grateful my first experience wasn’t perfect. If it had been easy, I might never have learned what I was capable of handling. At 35, I wasn’t too old to start solo traveling. I was simply at the beginning of becoming someone braver than I thought I could be. Looking for the perfect solo destination for your first trip? Check out my post: Choosing the right solo destination.

*As you can see, my Peru trip was only the start of my volunteer trips.

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