Well hello to you my reader chums! Travelling is my thing, as many of you know I adore planning my next trip away and seeing the world as much as possible. However, I wasn't always this way; when I was younger, the thought of travelling and getting on a plane, terrified me. I didn't plan to be 'that girl who travels in her twenties'. I thought I'd be the girl who went down a more traditional path in my twenties and it's wild to me how I fell in love with the travel way of life.

I've written about my travel anxiety and fear of planes before but to recap, when I was in my late teens, the thought of going on a plane made me incredibly anxious and leaving my hometown was a massive deal. I used to get panic attacks in public spaces and could barely leave my house. Travelling was a huge step to push out of my comfort zone.

If you're feeling anxious about your first holiday or time abroad, here are 5 ways to make the experience less scary.

Give yourself time to plan and research 

Everyone loves a different holiday. Some consider a holiday as booking a resort trip and relaxing by the pool in the sunshine, whilst others may prefer a jam-packed week, immersed in a new culture and exploring. Or, you may want a little bit of both. Whatever the trip determines the type of research. To reduce stress, give yourself plenty of time to research, look into all the available options, set a budget and figure out what you'd like.

There are many ways to book a holiday, including through a travel agent or direct/third party. Many first-time travellers would choose a travel agent as they organise everything for you, including accommodation, flights, transfers and sometimes, included activities. If you'd like more of a say and authority over the in-between parts of a holiday, booking directly/third-party may be for you. Booking directly means searching for flights and accommodation independently through a flight search engine like Skyscanner or the airline website, and using accommodation sites, including Booking.com, Air BNB, Hotels.com and HostelWorld. Flight engines and accommodation websites are often considered third-party as you're not technically booking directly with the flight provider or accommodation provider.

Ask all the questions in the booking process

Asking questions is how we learn, and when doing something for the first time, everything seems new. Someone who travels often will know the ins and outs of travelling, such as buying travel insurance, what to pack, how to use your phone abroad and finding your feet in a new location. As you may not know anything about those examples or there may be other queries you're unsure of, ask all the questions. Whether that's to your travel agent, the hotel you booked or the airline, being curious is all part of learning and will give you the confidence that you'd be part of your trip.

Make yourself a holiday agenda 

I am a sucker for an agenda. One of my favourite parts of planning a trip is researching everything I want to see and do, and the restaurants I love to try. Granted, there's no need to plan everything down to the minute. However, having a rough idea of what you'd like to do each day can help you pay in advance for certain activities and understand where you'll have space to chill or wander and enjoy your new experience.

Pack some home comforts 

Everything is better with homely comforts. When visiting somewhere new, you may feel a little homesick, especially if it's one of the first times not sleeping in your bed. This can give you anxiety and worry that you're stepping away from your safe place. However, I found bringing home comforts can help ease any discomfort or worry in some way. For example, you may have a specific jumper which makes you feel cosy or a teddy bear you never sleep without. Whatever it is, bring it along for the ride. The more you travel, the more you may find these home comforts aren't needed anymore.

Create a calm airport experience

An airport can be chaotic, especially during peak seasons. Some people aren't phased by the airport environment, whereas others find it incredibly stressful. Wherever you sit in that camp, creating calm in yourself can make for a chill airport experience. 

These are my best tips for a calm airport experience:

• Give yourself plenty of time - arrive at the airport 3 hours before to check your luggage in, go through security, grab some food and do all those steps at your own pace
• Organise all your documents in one place - this will make locating your passport and boarding pass easy at different points
• Weigh your luggage beforehand - you don't want to arrive at the airport with luggage overweight so make sure it's in the limit before you arrive
• Wear something comfortable - you'll be sitting around a lot and comfy clothes can add to the relaxing mode
• Download things to do - whether you're a reader, love podcasts or a film, having some distractions to hand to listen to or watch can help you feel at ease and quieten the airport sounds
• Pay for seats next to each other - long-haul flights generally give you seats with your party but many short-haul airlines don't; when you book your flights, pay that little bit extra to sit with them
• Eat something that makes you feel good - I know many people have a drink at the airport but if that adds to your anxiety, choose a breakfast which gives your body a happy boost.