After all the tassels are flipped and diplomas handed out, college graduates usually return to the towns they grew up, stick around the area they attended  school or chase after job opportunities. Whether out of comfort or choice, most graduates look for jobs, relationships and housing in places familiar to them.

But 25-year-old Stephanie Yoder wasn’t looking to stay within her comfort zone when she graduated from Emory University in 2007. In fact, the creator of 20-Something Travel was planning to move over 3,000 miles away from that zone.

After falling in love with London during a semester abroad in Fall 2006, Yoder moved back to her favorite city to live and work. Traveling solo, she had to form relationships, find housing and more without family and friends at hand. But Yoder says meeting new people is one of the things she loves about travel.

In an interview, she talks about how she prepared for her move to London, the experience, traveling independently and plans for her next trip to Oceania, Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe.

Bobbi Lee Hitchon (BH): What did you do to prepare for your move to London in 2007 (housing, visas, jobs, friends, finances)?

Stephanie Yoder (SY): I graduated from college in May ‘07 and was already planning to move to London on a BUNAC student-work visa. I moved back home for about six months to temp and save up the money I knew I would need. I’m lucky that my parents are very supportive of my various travel aims and my friends were all set to come visit from the get-go.

I also read a lot of novels about London. I am a big book nerd and reading was a way for me to really get to know the city and organize my thoughts. It made my actual experiences there seem more nuanced.

BH: How did you make friends, find work, etc. in a new country?

SY: I was terrified when I first arrived. I knew absolutely nobody, had zero job prospects and only a hostel to live in. BUNAC gives you a 2 hour training session, helps you set up a bank account and then sets you loose. Once I got moving though it was actually shocking how easily things fell together.

I applied to about a dozen temp agencies and one was able to place me in a 6 month position (the length of my work visa) fairly quickly. Using Gumtree (the English version of Craigslist) I found a flat not too far out on the Central Line. My flatmates turned out to be three crazy Australian boys. Things were never boring there!  I even met a charming English boy my first night out on the town and I ended up dating him for quite a long time. Getting there is always the hardest step.

BH: Why did you want to live abroad as opposed to just visiting?

SY: I first studied abroad in London in college and fell in love with the city. It’s really vast and nuanced and even after living there for so long I still don’t feel like I’ve really seen it all.

I think that when you live somewhere you get a much more in depth picture of the place, the people, the best used book stores and pubs. The way you spend your day to day life; going to work, hanging out with friends, grocery shopping, is very different from the way you spend time as a traveler.

BH: What are some of the hardships you face with moving to new environments and returning home?

SY: After my work visa expired I backpacked around Europe for awhile, did a US road trip and basically went anywhere I could think of to postpone going back home. Eventually I ran out of money and had to come back, which was hard. When you are living abroad even a walk around the block can seem exciting, so coming home was like coming down from a massive year long high. It’s strange to come back and feel so different yet find that nothing has really changed since you left.

It took me awhile to come to terms with that but starting my blog and beginning to plan new adventures helped a lot. I always try to look to the future and not dwell too much on the past.

BH: Why do you travel independently and what is your advice to people nervous about traveling solo?

SY: A large part of independent travel for me is about convenience. I want to go where I want to go, and I can’t wait around forever for somebody to agree to come with me!

The first time you go somewhere alone it can be nerve wracking, but I think most of the fear surrounding travel is fear of the unknown. As long as you make smart decisions for yourself you will be safe, and if you are staying in hostels you will never be alone. Being nervous is healthy but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a shot. Ultimately your trip is what you make it.

BH: Have you had any bad experiences while traveling or living abroad? If so, what and how did you conquer it?

SY: When I was in London I had to visit the ER and ended up being hospitalized because of a bad skin infection. It was pretty scary at the time; being in the hospital and so far away from family. But everyone was really nice and it worked out in the end.

The thing I always try to remember when I get stuck in shitty travel situations is that no matter how horrible things seem now, they are going to make a hell of a story later. When I look back now from two years later I just smile fondly at my run in with the NHS.

BH: What is your favorite thing about living abroad? Traveling in general?

SY: My favorite thing about living abroad (and it’s even more true of general travel) was meeting so many awesome people. London is an extremely international city and on a daily basis I’d interact with Brits, Australians, Kiwis, South Africans, Canadians and others. When you travel you meet other people who travel and they are usually pretty interesting.

BH: Where is your next move and how long will it take you to prepare for it?

SY: I’m planning a year long, round-the-world backpacking trip to start this September. At this point I’ve mainly explored Europe and North America and I’m eager to add some new countries and continents to my list.

By the time I leave I will have been saving up and planning for roughly two years. That’s a long time but I think it should definitely be worth it. The thing about travel is it’s absurdly addicting. Once you’ve seen a little bit of the world you just want to see everything.

*Photo: Stephanie Yoder holds up a beer in Brussels. Photo courtesy of Stephanie Yoder.