Although I am incredibly excited about my trip to America at the end of this month, there are certain things that are making me feel more and more anxious the closer we get to leaving.
Don’t get me wrong this is going to be the most exciting trip I have ever been on, but it is also going to be one of the scariest.
To be completely honest with you, most of my worries come down to being plus size.
As I know there are going to be A LOT of you in the same boat, I thought I’d put all of my thoughts down into a blog post, no matter how ridiculous they may seem. Once I’m back from my trip I’ll post a follow up letting you know if I was right to worry, or if I picked up any hacks to make the whole process easier for a plus size traveller.
For those of you that don’t know, Trek America is a tour company that runs organised tours across the USA, as well as a few other places. The idea is you and a small group of people travel across several different states in a minibus, led by one of their Trek Leaders. You can choose either camping or hotels, depending on the budget you have.
As I have dreamed of going on a Trek America trip for YEARS, this is probably one of my most anticipated trips EVER. This will be my first time back in America for seven years, which if you read one of my most recent posts you will understand is a HUGE deal for me.
So, let’s chat about what is making me anxious….
For reference, I’m going to be doing the Atlantic Dream Trek, most of which is camping.
I’m going to be the biggest person on my Trek
I know this probably seems like a silly thing to worry about to some but being the biggest person on my Trek is something I’m really anxious about. Whilst the group of people I’m going with are lovely (we’ve got a Facebook group chat), I can’t help but worry I’ll be an inconvenience at some point during the trip.
Not only that but although I am getting MUCH better when it comes to self-confidence, being the biggest person in a group can make me feel incredibly uncomfortable at times – especially those times when I’m really aware of my size.
I am going to be too big for the tents
Whilst this is probably a completely ridiculous thought, I have been worried that I’ll be too big for a tent. I’ve seen a picture of the tents inside and they’re definitely big enough for two people including luggage, but it still worries me that I am larger than your average person. Although I might not take up ‘too’ much space in comparison to a straight size traveller, I can’t help but worry I’ll be making someone uncomfortable.
I am not going to be able to keep up with the group
I have been on trips before where I have been struggling to keep up when in a group. I make myself walk much faster than I can handle so as not to look as though I’m lagging behind. Whilst I can manage it 90% of the time, I definitely suffer afterwards. I’m worried there will be certain instances when I feel like this during my Trek, as more often than not I don’t like to say I’m struggling.
I actually posted about this on Instagram stories a few weeks ago and thankfully, a lot of people that had been on Treks before got in touch with me. Whilst we will have guided tours some of the days, people have reassured me that the pace in which we go is completely up to us.
I won’t be able to handle the heat the further south we go
We’re going to be travelling for three weeks during May and June, so temperatures will definitely be much higher than they would in the UK. It averages around 22 degrees in the first few states we visit, right up to highs of 33 when we reach Florida. Whilst I have dealt with temperatures that high before, I know that my weight doesn’t make it easy.
I’m not fit enough for 21 days on the go
Although we will be spending a lot of time in the van and at campsites, travelling for 3 weeks means that I will be on the go for 21 consecutive days. Usually, when I’m at home I go out once or twice a week, barring any walks I take during the day. As I’m not used to being on the go for that long, I’m really worried that I’m going to struggle the further we get into the Trek. With a week at Walt Disney World at the end of my Trek, my ankles are going to be VERY swollen when I get home.
The long journeys will hurt my knees
Another thing I really struggle with when it comes to travelling is sitting in the same position for too long. Whilst I am used to it as I take long coach journeys to cut costs, spending 2 weeks doing long journeys could have a different effect on my knee entirely. Usually, it starts to hurt after 1-2 hours in the same position and it heals after a few hours of walking about again. Because of this, I’m worried about what regular long journeys could do to it.
I’ll suffer from some serious chafing in the heat
Finally, one of the main issues that plus size travellers (and many others) face – chafing. As it’s going to be hot weather throughout my trip my wardrobe consists of summer dresses, skirts and shorts. Whilst I can wear chub rub shorts with most of my dresses and skirts, when it comes to wearing shorts I don’t have as much protection. I’m going to do my absolute best not to get chub rub at all, but if I don’t, it would be a FIRST.
Have you ever done a Trek America trip before? What words of advice do you have for me?
