I'm a 22-year-old college student who just traveled abroad alone for the first time. Apps saved my trip more than once but they also nearly ruined it.

For years, I've dreamt of traveling alone to somewhere far away from the hustle and bustle of Singapore. I have always been one to like peace and quiet, and sometimes the fast pace and chaos of this metropolitan city in Southeast Asia — where I have lived my whole life — tires me out.

After finding out that one of the world's most beautiful mountains is only a three-hour flight away, I decided it was time to take that overdue break from urban life. For my last college winter break, I started planning an 11-day trip to Hanoi, from where I could explore the nature surrounding the city.

As the day of my flight approached, I started packing the typical travel essentials, along with a disposable camera. I really liked the idea of not being able to edit or even see the photos I would take.

Most importantly, I checked and double-checked my phone again to make sure all the essential apps — Google Maps and Translate, Grab, Agoda — were downloaded and organized in the same folder.

As soon as I landed, I was faced with a mini crisis.

The accommodation that I booked had double-booked me, and I was about to be left sleeping on the streets for the night.

Thankfully, I was able to quickly book a new place with one of the many travel-related apps I had downloaded beforehand. This time, I made sure to book a hotel and not an Airbnb.

It never hurts to download more apps, even those that you don't typically use. I had downloaded Agoda and Booking.com for accomodations, Klook and GetYourGuide for day trips, as well as both Grab and Gojek for ride hailing. Researching which apps were used in Vietnam and logging in beforehand definitely helped me out along the way.

I expected mishaps on the trip, so my mini accommodation crisis left me relatively unfazed. Instead, I went ahead with exploring Hanoi for two days before I headed to Sapa, a small town in north-west Vietnam. It's an eight-hour train ride from Hanoi.

Initially, I relied heavily on Google Maps to find nearby highly-rated restaurants, and Google Translate to communicate. That was until I discovered an even better way: spot and mimic the locals. With this new life hack I had picked up, I managed to discover a lot of hidden local favorites, and did my best to blend in.

One of the best meals I had on the trip was at this crowded Bun Cha – Hanoi's speciality dish of seasoned grilled pork served in broth with a side of rice noodles — restaurant tucked away in a small street. I was happy to see it was bustling with locals.

To avoid sticking out like a sore thumb, I got seated with a local eating alone. I looked around to see how everyone else was ordering their food, and tried to take note of the typical reactions to the owners standard series of questions. When the owner finally got around to my table to take the order, I succeeded with a combination of nods and headshakes.

I was really hyped for my first ride on a sleeper train. But I was also anxious for a number of reasons. I had booked a four-bunk cabin and skipped in-train Wi-Fi to save money. This meant that I would have to spend eight long hours in a tiny room with three strangers and no internet.

I quickly climbed onto the top bunk, and soon after my roomies arrived, I heard a familiar accent — turns out my bunk mates were also 22 and coincidentally from my hometown.

The ride became so much less daunting after that.

One thing that surprised me on the trip was the amount of talking I did, and in all the different languages that I could speak.

I signed up for three full-day tours, and met so many other travelers from various parts of the world. An older Korean couple was interested in hearing about what I am studying in school and helping me to plan for the future. I later received an invite to Kuala Lumpur from two Malaysians. By the end, I had exchanged Instagram handles with so many other solo female travelers who were around my age. My face muscles were sore from all the smiling and laughing at the end of each tour.

As an introvert, I never saw myself to be one of those solo travelers that made friends while traveling, but I guess I'm one of them now, and I'm glad I am.

Upon arriving in Sapa, I instinctively looked on my phone to book a ride to my homestay, before realizing that the car-sharing services I use don't work in Sapa. There were way fewer options available, and I could not get the taxi I needed.

I must have been looking lost when a local approached me offering his motorbike service. Slightly wary, I accepted it as I did not have much of a choice. The short, middle-aged man loaded my tiny blue canvas wheel suitcase on the empty space of the bike where his legs would've gone, and handed me a helmet. I hopped onto the bike to take the first ride of my life.

Quyet, the rider, ended up being one of the best friends I made on the trip. He taught me a great deal about Sapa and Vietnamese culture, as well as brought me to see the best views of Sapa.

The Lunar New Year happened to be around the corner, and I spotted many locals riding their motorbikes with small bare trees tied to their seats. Quyet explained that these were "Lucky trees" that almost every household would buy and plant in their frontyard for the festive season. He added that they may look bare, but beautiful flowers would bloom just in time for their new year.

The people I met in Sapa were so friendly. One of my most memorable nights there was spent eating dinner with the family that hosted me. Thanks in part to the local corn wine that was served, we warmed up to one another fast.

Towards the end of dinner, we were laughing till our tummies hurt at the most random things. At some point the host directed our attention to a small table with a sheet of glass over his prized collection of bank notes from all around the world, and defeatedly told us visitors have been quietly stealing some. So we spent a good 30 minutes helping him to strategically rearrange and tape the notes down to prevent further theft, all while giggling non-stop.

The next few days in Sapa were equally wonderful. Every morning I would wake up and the mountains would be right there to greet me.

Occasionally, my phone would lose its internet connection, and I would freak out slightly (internally), and wonder if it was a mistake to come alone.

But that left me alone with the trees, the crisp air, and the unmatched scenery. I learned to appreciate that.

Despite lasting less than two weeks, the trip I took to Northern Vietnam was one where I went through a lot of character development.

Being alone overseas for the first time was definitely daunting, and there were many points along the way where I started wondering if I made the right decision to solo travel, especially to a country where I could not speak the language.

But I do not regret anything. Aside from a few things I learned not to repeat on my next solo trip, such as not skimping on essential spending, and knowing that it's not all about the apps, I would gladly experience it all again.