You can travel alone! Go Girl!

by | Aug 21, 2015 | Inspiration, Solo Travel | 18 comments

1 YOU CAN TRAVEL-2There are some times when we want to do something but what we read, hear or believe limits us with all the preconceptions we have about it.

Traveling is something that appeals to many people but there is also too many who feel afraid to travel because they think they need to do it with someone else, or traveling alone is dangerous and boring. Many men are afraid to travel alone, but this article is here especially for the women who want to travel but for different reasons are afraid to do so, this is for you to know you can travel alone.

Especially those who have grown up in Spanish-speaking societies or inside a culture with strong Catholic influences and with a lot of machismo present, if you are one of those you’ve probably heard or read since you were very young things like: ‘as a woman you are better at home taking care of your husband and children (yes, believe me, even in this century that kind of words are heard loud and clear in many places on this planet) or it is very dangerous for a woman traveling alone.

I called some awesome women and travelers who love to travel alone, they feel to live experiences independently and they are here to tell you that if you want it, you can travel alone as a woman and it can even be a wonderful experience !

Join us!

 

Melissa from the Blog A Broken Backpack

1 Melisa abrokenbackpack

I am dealing with anxiety and I travel

My first backpacking experience was a solo trip in Europe. On my very first day, I remember that I called my dear Mom and I asked her: «Why did I make that decision? Why am I here? ». I also cried.  She was full of good advices and she told me not to worry.  Day after day, I started to enjoy my trip.  Quickly, I realized that travel was the best way to calm my stress and my anxiety.  Why, you may ask.

I found out that the only way for me to be in the present moment is to travel.  There are new stimulations every day and you don’t have the time to worry about anything.  You literally just have to worry about what you want to do/see/check on your bucket list.  Since that very first experience, all the next trips have been accompanied by tears on my way back home on the plane.  Every day, every local/backpacker/traveller, every place and every shock turn my trip (and my life) in a wonderful adventure.

I have the chance (and I chose) to be grateful for everything my eyes can see, for everything my heart can feel. If it, sometimes, scares me, I also know that I am even more scared  of having regrets later.  I don’t want to wake up one day and think I should have done it when I was  younger or healthier.  If life is too short to worry, life is also too long to wait…

You can also find her on her TwitterFacebook, Instagram, Pinterest

Carlotta from the Blog Nomads Wind

1 carlotta nomadswinds

To all the ladies out there, before giving you any advice, I might introduce myself. I’m a little hypochondriac.

I’m scared of animals that I don’t know. I’m scared of heights, planes, boats and wild drivers, and I often have catastrophic movies in my head about things that can happen.

Even so, I managed to live in 3 different countries and to spend the last year hopping around Southeast Asia and guess what, I’m more alive than ever! I’m the living proof that girls can travel solo. I’m not saying that the world is danger-free, but there are much fewer dangers than you might think!

My first tip is to not let your fears stop you. I know that the idea of leaving for a foreign country is scary but, after the first couple of steps, everything come naturally. To make things easier you should have a plan A and B: mishaps happens when you’re on the road, it’s normal, but to everything there is a solution.

Remember that something unexpected can lead you to something great. Keep in mind that the there are plenty of solo female travelers and you’ll surely meet some of them in hostels, buses or anywhere along the way. There are also tons of travel communities with people meeting up everywhere in the world. If you really want company, it’s easy to find it. Try to cut some time for yourself though, it’s unbelievably useful!

Study a little about the culture that you’re going to encounter, make sure to dress and behave appropriately to keep away unwanted attention. Be smart, trust your guts, be aware of your  surrounding and you will have an awesome time!

You can also find her on her TwitterFacebook, Instagram, Pinterest

 

Laura from the Blog Savored Journeys

1 laura savoredjpurneys

I remember the first time I decided to travel solo.

I wanted to go to Croatia. I was really excited and determined, but there was a nagging fear in the back of my mind that was hard to ignore. The best advice I could give to someone looking to travel by themselves is not to ignore the fear.

Try to identify what it is exactly and address it before you go. My biggest fear was the language barrier, so I made sure to book an English-speaking hotel and pre-book a few excursions with English guides. That eased my mind tremendously, and when I got there, I realized there was nothing at all to be worried about.

You can also find her on  TwitterFacebook, Pinterest

Nikita from the Blog Life in Transcience

1 nikitta lifeintrancesciene

Reach out before you go.

Talk to people who have already been to the area you’re looking at, and try to avoid talking to fear-mongerers who are only aware of the latest tragedy on the news. Remember, any place will sound dangerous if only the negative is publicized. Random acts of kindness are rarely spoken of by the media!

You also shouldn’t put too much pressure on yourself. Even if a two-year hitchhiking trip from Egypt to India sounds awesome, there’s no shame in starting with something smaller. Maybe start with a tour, and leave yourself a couple of weeks to explore solo. By that point, you’ll probably have made friends to travel with, if that’s what you’re looking for.

And last of all, remember the moral to almost every Disney movie ever: Courage isn’t the absence of fear, but acting in spite of it. Book that ticket, and you’ll already be a badass.

You can also find her on TwitterFacebook, Pinterest

 

Francesca from the Blog One Girl One World

1 francesca

I know what it feels like to struggle with fear and doubts about traveling solo.

I feel it every time I plan a solo trip abroad. Those pesky thoughts that ask “what if __ happens?” or “what if you feel lonely?” are thoughts that probably go through every female traveler’s head! But my motto in life is “do it afraid” because sometimes you just have to look fear in the face and walk right past it.

Traveling alone is amazing because it opens you up to meeting other people, especially locals. It’s also great because it’s your time to shine! No asking for permission, no compromising on activities, no eating at restaurants you don’t care to eat at. It’s liberating and if you take necessary precautions, it can also be quite safe! If you need more inspiration and advice, you can check out my blog One Girl: One World! See you there!

You can also find her on TwitterFacebook, Instagram

 

 

After reading us….Are you still afraid of traveling by yourself?

You can travel alone, do it!

 

 

Have you ever solo travel before? Did you found this tips useful to you? Would you give another tip to someone afraid of solo traveling?

Gloria Apara

Gloria Apara

Writer | Digital Content Creator

I’m Gloria, the creator of Nomadic Chica, with a passion for Travel, Coffee, and Asian food.

Growing up in Santiago Chile and dreaming of travel and international exploration. I have set out my life to make my dreams come true.

Having traveled through Asia, Europe, and South America, for the last 20 years, I have a wealth of travel knowledge and experience to share. NomadicChica.com was created to inspire others to travel and empower solo female travels with knowledge.

18 Comments

  1. I am really happy I have this information. Thanks!

    Reply
  2. Great article! I have been travelling through southeast asia for three months in 2015 and three months in 2016 and as a girl it is perfectly safe to travel alone. All i thought was: dont do anything that i wouldnt do at home.
    x

    Reply
  3. This is very encouraging! Thank you for this post. I have always wanted to travel but have always had some obstacle (money, time, someone to go with). I finally booked a group tour to Thailand for my very first trip and solo with a bunch of people I didn’t know, and loved it! I would like go to Europe by myself without a group tour, and just go at my own pace. If there are any tips or suggestions on traveling solo for newbie travelers I’d love to hear them!

    Reply
  4. I really loved the content…hope people umderstand your opinion I can tell it changed my life thanks 🙂

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    • Hi! Many thanks for your words, really appreciate them! I also wish more women understand how powerful this experience could be! Happy travels to you!

      Reply
  5. Nice to hear. My biggest worry is traveling to a country that doesn’t speak English. I did Australia and New Zealand alone but Asia seems like a different animal!

    Reply
    • Hey! I think if you can speak English makes it really easy to communicate in most places! with all the technology these days you can also have a translator on your phone and talk with the ones no speaking English, I was ordering my coffee in Thailand with that and it worked pretty well! We will always find excuses when we hhave little fears but believe me, my first language is Spanish and I don’t care if I’m in Germany and I can’t communicate with all the people I would love to (hy I wanna learn German soon! lol) it is always possible, we just need to find the way to do it! 😉

      Reply
  6. Such inspiring travellers. I love to travel alone, but it is scary so thankyou for the encouragement for those who might not have tried it yet!

    Reply
    • Hi Katie! I’m so glad you liked it and found inspiration with us! 😉

      Reply
  7. Love this post. I am somewhat past being a girl but have just returned from 5 months travelling alone. The time and my age shock so many. It is easier than many think. I think easier for me than your lovely writers as being invisible works to my advantage in this situation. I wrote a post on travelling alone after 6 weeks in Eastern Europe https://bmpermie.wordpress.com/2013/08/26/going-solo/

    Great post to encourage others.

    Reply
    • Hey! You are definitely awesome and it’s great you don’t listen what all that shocked people said to you. We can always travel by ourselves and have great experiences! I’ll check out your Eastern Europe adventures for sure 😉

      Reply
  8. Such awesome and inspirational words! Thanks for letting me be a part of it!

    Reply
    • Many thanks to you for sharing with us! 😉

      Reply
  9. Yeah! I’m so happy to be part of this! 🙂 Thanks again!

    Reply
  10. If you’re not encouraged to do it yet, believe me, it’s worth it! Just take the leap of faith and do it. You won’t regret it. Great stories, girls! Thanks for including me.

    Reply

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Hi! I’m Gloria, a serious travel addicted from Chile, passionate about going out of my comfort zone, trying delicious food, beautiful destinations and Luxury Places.

I’m here to hopefully inspire you enough to make your own travel dreams true!

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