The woman that I am, I travel alone.
I plan my trip.
Pack my bags.
Head out.
Why Do I Travel Alone?
I don’t have to wait around for you to get ready nor do I have to get up when you say so, I travel alone
The freedom and independence to do things for myself
It’s a challenge and helps me to gain confidence.
Yes, the first time you travel alone it is intimidating. But the first time always is. Get over it. You will be okay after your first experience. I love to travel alone now.
Things to Remember When Traveling Alone:
Decide where you want to go and why do you want to go there. Read up, decide if its actually a place you want to see.
Plan your trip well. Especially the first day. What time will you arrive? Where will you stay?
Plan to arrive in daytime with plenty of time to find the place you are staying at.
Make sure that you pack just enough and no more. There won’t be a knight in shining armor around to pick up and carry it for you! Remember you’re doing this to gain confidence and to challenge yourself.
Find other people in your tribe. There are a lot of women traveling alone. Find them on social media before you go and be open to meeting them at your destination. When I travel alone I find some awesome people.
An interesting way to be local is to do your research and find a local family who can accommodate you. Trip Advisor or Airbnb may help you find them.
Safety First
Do not tell people you just met where you are staying.
Keep your travel documents like ticket and passport in a safe place.
There really is no need to tell your taxi driver or someone you meet on the street that you are alone. Make up a story if needed.
Trust your instincts, if someone seems suspicious, they probably are. I have kept away from some people when I travel alone.
Decide the time you want to go back to your accommodation depending on where you are and who you’re with. If your traveling with other people you met at say, a hostel, you can probably hang out with them a bit longer than you would alone.
Keep an eye on local news and talk to the people where you are staying. They can keep you in the loop if there is trouble anywhere. You get alerted to things like bad weather, unrest and other issues when you chat up people.
There are ways to get around eating alone, if that makes you uncomfortable. You can join a cookery class, a tour group, or even a dinner tour. You will get used to the food situation quickly. The first time is always the most difficult.
Make friends with other women on the trip. I have found some amazing women when on tour. You end up with women friends from all over the world.
Conclusion:
Traveling alone can be a lot of fun. If at first it seems intimidating, do join an all-women tour group to gain experience. There are a lot of them around in cities and on social media. You won’t regret it! Once you do get the hang of it then the freedom you feel will keep you traveling again and again. I travel alone and feel it is the best way to travel. The woman that I am I enjoy traveling alone thoroughly.
This post is a part of ‘The Woman That I Am’ Blog Hop #TheWomanThatIAm organized by Rashi Roy and Manas Mukul #RRxMM. The Event is sponsored by Kraffitti.
