I went on my first solo trip at 20 years old. My travel buddy dropped out of our plans, leaving me devastated. We were supposed to go to India. I thought about it for a few days and decided that even if no one would join me, I was going to go myself. This obviously terrified my parents (it was a time before smart phones and Skype) but I was 20 years old and free to make my own choices. I laid out a basic itinerary for them, promising to email whenever I arrived at a new destination. I was petrified on the plane over, and truth be told, I hid in my hotel for the first 2 days ordering room service and watching the only English channel on TV.  Eventually put on my big girl pants and went exploring. It was the greatest gift I could have given myself. Since then, I have traveled extensively on 5 continents; sometimes with friends though often solo. I have lived in Melbourne, Australia for 3 years, Manchester, England for 2, and most recently I've moved to Dublin, Ireland!