Recently, the idea of ‘female solo travel’, has come across my radar quite a bit. I’ve read countless blogs and been so impressed by these women who take off on trips lasting from a week to several years on their own.
The blogs have a pretty predictable script: I wanted to do something bold, this is how I stay safe, look at all these awesome things I’ve done.
Now I’ve been compelled to take off on a solo journey of my own, but have no idea where to start. Where would I go? How will I pay for it? Where will I stay? When will I leave, and for how long? The possibilities are endless, and overwhelming.
As a self-proclaimed introverted Extrovert (ENTP), I love to flex my mental muscles. I have planned hundreds of trips in my mind, seldom planning on who they will be with. I’ve never minded the idea of traveling alone, nor have I ever entertained the idea that I might have already accomplished solo travel.
Skip this part if you want the CliffsNotes version:
Let’s take a step back.
Travel experience as an adult #1- I was 19 and moved to France to work in a language-focused summer camp. I didn’t know anyone there, had met my boss once on Skype and had about 5 emails with him before I left.
#2- Road trip around IL, IN, OH, KY, TN to Bonnaroo, Mammoth Caves, and Dayton. Met a friend in Dayton and couch surfed and camped for 6 days.
#3- Midwest roadtrip with Shane. Camped and stayed with his parents for 2 weeks, went to Electric Forest, Cedar Point, several breweries, Cleveland, museums, etc.
#4- Study abroad trip to Cyprus. I didn’t know a single soul before I went, had an apartment, and traveled quite a bit while I was there.
#5- Simply for notability, I booked plane tickets from Cyprus to Tel Aviv and spent my two week spring break traveling through Israel and Palestine, couch surfing, taking buses, and stayed a night in a hostel.
#6- Went to Chicago for 5 days to spend time at a conference with several entrepreneurs that I had never met before.
NOT ONCE did I ever consider that I was traveling alone.
Seriously. Since graduating High School I’ve been to 17 countries and 18 states.
I just did it; I have already done several trips that qualify as ‘female solo travel’. I didn’t necessarily need any one person by my side, I just fulfilled my need to GO. I moved to Texas knowing one person there. I moved to Iowa State knowing two people there.
Not once during these travels or big moves did I feel alone. With almost every one of these experiences, I came out of it with a new best friend.
Between couch surfing, bus rides, hostels, work and volunteerism friends, classmates, and hitch hiking, I was never alone.
The concept of never being alone kills my inner introvert. But what made me nervous and excited about traveling is what fuels my inner extravert- I get to meet new people and experiences everywhere I went, without the premise of making anyone but myself happy.
I travel with no intent on arriving, and I love with fervor. It’s a wonderful combination to take into the wide world.