How Getting Lost Found Me My Confidence 

Honestly, I was properly stuck. Stuck in the same grey routine, doubting myself constantly, feeling utterly deflated. So, I did something small but brave: booked a solo trip. Nothing fancy – just a few days in Portugal.  

Event planning felt like progress. Booking the flight. Choosing a simple guesthouse. Sorting airport parking Manchester online with a reliable service – that little confirmation email gave me my first proper win. I’d started something. 

Walking into the airport alone was the real shift. No one to follow. Just me, my bag, and the departures board. Finding check-in, navigating security smoothly, locating my gate… each small step felt like a quiet whisper: "See? You can figure things out." 

Must Read: How to Handle Flight Delays & Parking Issues.

There, wandering Lisbon's tiled streets, I leaned into the unfamiliar. Got deliberately lost down winding alleys. Butchered ordering coffee. Asked for directions with dodgy Portuguese and a smile. Every tiny challenge I met – finding my way back, trying strange food, chatting to a local shopkeeper – stacked up. Small victories, building something solid inside me. 

Must Read: Parking & Travel Insurance: Your Secret Travel Duo.

Landing back at Manchester, knackered but buzzing, felt huge. And seeing my car waiting exactly where I’d left it, hassle-free thanks to pre-booked parking, was the perfect full stop. No chaos, just calm. It sealed the feeling: "I did this. All of it." 

 

Travel didn’t fix me overnight. But it screamed a truth I’d forgotten: I’m capable. Curious. Stronger than I knew. 

Also Read: How One Small Habit Transformed My Travel Experience.

 

If you’re feeling adrift? Book the trip. Sort the practical bits (like airport parking deals), then step out. You might just find the version of yourself you’d lost, waiting patiently to be rediscovered