Be a girl with adventure, a lady with confidence, and a woman with bravery. ~ Aly Aubrey
You so badly want to go on an adventure but you won’t because you feel you have to have someone to go with. I missed out on so much when I was younger constantly waiting for someone to join me. Don’t be like me! I want to encourage you to start stepping out on your own and stop waiting on others! Of course, when traveling alone, especially as a woman, “a sense of safety is paramount.” As Danielle Letina, another solo traveler, puts it.
Traveling Alone
It’s officially summer and adventures can be found just about anywhere. Whether it’s a solo overnight road trip or a 10-plus-hour flight with a 4-hour layover. Yup! Those are my type of solo trips, the ones that get me so far away, I can experience something different. If you are able to take this type of trip, I highly recommend it. You get to learn about new cultures, people, foods, and so on. I genuinely believe that experiencing different cultures is necessary to appreciate the beauty of the world we live in! So don’t be afraid, it’s time to break free of the expectation that you must have someone to go with.
On my solo travels, there are always plenty of people asking if I’m traveling alone… not like creepy asking. Asking out of curiosity because it’s not super common to see women, let alone young women traveling alone. While it feels good when someone points out that it’s cool or brave of me to be traveling alone, my hope is that traveling alone becomes so normal that the questions change to something like, so when is your next solo trip? Or, what’s your next destination?
If you’ve never travelled alone before, you should begin small. Danielle Letina’s advice sums it up nicely: “If you wait for someone to go with you, you’ll wait your whole life. The first time is scary. So just get it over with; maybe someplace you’ve been already. Having a sense of safety is paramount, so going somewhere you’ve already been, say with family, things look familiar. Then you start slowly venturing off the known, beaten path. Next thing you know, you’re backpacking across southern Italy for 3 weeks with only a return plane ticket and no hostel reservations, just winging it.”
Solo Travelers
I asked other solo travelers if they would comment on their experience traveling alone and here is what they shared:
“The freedom and independence and the decision making strength it gives you is beyond. I find myself more efficient when Im by myself rather than with a friend or family during travels.” ~Christine Karan
“My girlfriend drove 10k miles on a road trip solo last year. Stay diligent to stay safe. She didn’t have any issues. Just go for it.” ~ Philip Bricknell
“I’ve been traveling solo for years. It seems to be a cultural thing. Mostly it’s older Americans who are shocked that I travel by myself. If I stay at hostels in the States the women’s dorm is almost never full, and the women staying there are usually not American. Overseas I meet many women traveling alone.” ~ Lee Jenkins
“While I’ve received those typical “Oh good for you, oh I couldn’t do that myself” responses from people, my most memorable and unsolicited feedback that I’ve ever received from strangers from my years on the road was when I backpacked solo through China. Even with the language barrier, some people I’d encounter would ask in Chinese “One person?” I’d nod yes, and they’d give me a big smile and nod and a thumbs up.” ~ Jennifer Richardson
The last one I want to share is from Meaghan Grant, who lives in Arizona. She provided some much needed perspective to those who seem to have a default fear of any place besides their home. Her comment pointed out that whenever she gets any sort of it’s so dangerous/be careful/aren’t you scared/that’s so scary feedback, she points out the fact that sometimes where we live could be more dangerous than some travel destinations. Do your homework on safe places to travel, and remember that your safety is of paramount importance!
Decide To Make It An Adventure Girl Summer
So there you have it. How awesome to have the freedom and independence to travel where and how you want? The best part, the more you do it, the more confidence you’ll build. Not just to travel alone, but also because traveling alone allows you to learn skills and become more confident. How many girls do you think will miss out on yet another summer adventure because they’re waiting for someone to go with? I’m going to guess…a lot! Don’t be one of them. Make this the summer you decide to make it an Adventure Girl Summer!
If you’ve been inspired and ready to take that first solo adventure, blogger Leslie Kaz wrote an awesome blog on Planning Your First Solo Trip. She highlights that solo travel doesn’t have to be intimidating, scary, boring or lonely. Go check it out and let me know what you think!
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