Solo Woman Mortal Travel: How To Expire Over Your Fears
Posted: 2/7/2019 | Febuary 7th, 2019
Kristin Addis from Be My Travel Muse writes our regular column on solo woman individual travel. It’s an of import theme I can’t adequately cover, hence I brought inwards an skillful to part her advice for other women travelers to assist encompass the topics of import in addition to specific to them! In this month’s article, she shows us how other solo woman individual travelers acquire over their fears!
Over the years, a lot of women receive got admitted to me that they made move plans — only to cancel the trip earlier they went.
Fear in addition to anxiety got inwards the way.
There’s a piddling something close solo traveling that almost nobody talks about.
It’s to a greater extent than mutual than you lot yell upwards – peculiarly for first fourth dimension woman individual travelers.
After all, there’s a lot nosotros receive got to worry close when nosotros decease out.
For a lot of us, these worries tin live crippling.
When the park worries close loneliness, safety, in addition to boredom creep in, I remind myself that getting to receive got this experience abroad volition live worth it. I visualize success past times picturing myself on the beach, laughing amongst novel friends, in addition to having a fantastic trip. Those goodness vibes are frequently plenty to create it all come upwards true.
Then I wondered, how do other women kick fearfulness to the curb in addition to alive out their solo move dreams?
So I posed the query to the women inwards my Facebook group. This is what they said:
“Realize that fourth dimension amongst yourself is a luxury” – Alex, 29, Florida
I started traveling solo when I was close xx years old. I booked my foremost solo trip because I became tired of waiting around for friends to bring together me. At the time, I was going to grad schoolhouse inwards Barcelona, in addition to I wanted to accept the chance to move equally much equally possible spell I lived inwards Europe. I realized that if I didn’t decease past times myself, I wouldn’t acquire to decease at all, in addition to I’d miss a huge chance to reckon this component of the globe just out of fear. I weighed all the possible bad things that could hap in addition to decided to human face upwards my fearfulness in addition to bulk my tickets.
I laid off on a three-week trip to Austria, Hungary, in addition to the Czech Republic. It ended upwards beingness such an incredible trip, in addition to I met hence many people that ever since, I’ve decease a solo traveler almost exclusively.
I’ve learned how to actually relish fourth dimension amongst myself in addition to non live afraid of beingness alone. I receive got the liberty to run into novel people in addition to hang amongst them, but also the liberty to accept fourth dimension to myself when I demand it. Through solo travel, I’ve decease to a greater extent than confident in addition to to a greater extent than aware of all the bully qualities that I have. I’ve learned that I’m non equally afraid equally I thought in addition to that I tin live incredibly resourceful.
The to a greater extent than you lot research, the ameliorate prepared you’ll experience (Yana, 32, Boston, Massachusetts, of Beard in addition to Curly)
I e'er wanted to move but constitute it actually difficult to acquire others to commit to decease amongst me. After a friend bailed on me last-minute, I realized that I shouldn’t depend on anyone to decease experience the world. At first, it was scary to live on my own. My most debilitating fearfulness was beingness lonely. Was I e'er going to live alone? Would it live weird to consume at a eating seat on my own? Also, would I live able to depend on myself for everything, from getting to my hostel safely to navigating a city?
To conquer my fears, I did a lot of inquiry to familiarize myself amongst the places I was visiting. I also asked other travelers on forums in addition to social media platforms close their experience. Their words encouraged me. Taking the fourth dimension to inquiry in addition to invention made me experience to a greater extent than comfortable close traveling alone. I receive got forthwith visited over 120 countries, mostly on my own.
If I tin hold upwards at home, why should it live dissimilar elsewhere? (Sarah, 52, from the UK, living inwards Italy)
I started solo traveling only after I was widowed. I realized that it was a instance of decease lone or rest at home, in addition to never going anywhere was a lot scarier than going past times myself!
I built my confidence past times starting slowly, adding on days inwards novel places to trips to reckon menage unit of measurement in addition to friends. The foremost time, it was a stopover inwards Sydney on my way abode from Christchurch. The side past times side time, I did a few days inwards Auckland earlier catching upwards amongst menage unit of measurement inwards Australia. My side past times side trip volition live 2 weeks completely solo inwards Thailand side past times side month.
I inquiry my destinations thoroughly hence that I know what to await in addition to what I desire to reckon in addition to do. I bulk hotels in addition to carry inwards advance, in addition to sometimes tours too, which are a goodness way of coming together other people on the road. I utilisation the street-view role on Google Maps to cheque the location of hotels or hostels in addition to receive got a virtual “walk” around the area. This allows me to avoid booking anywhere likewise isolated, at the halt of night alleys, or just inwards neighborhoods I wouldn’t experience prophylactic inwards alone. My feel of direction is terrible, hence getting an thought of where everything is inwards advance makes me experience a lot to a greater extent than confident. I also e'er effort to create certain that my flights decease far during daytime in addition to uncovering out how to acquire from the aerodrome to my accommodation inwards advance, hence that I know precisely where I’m going upon arrival, when I’m probable to live tired.
I realized that people are mostly goodness (Isabella, 25, from Chicago, Illinois)
I yell upwards I got over that initial fearfulness of traveling lone past times realizing how exciting that degree of independence was — I had some coin in addition to some time, in addition to I could do absolutely anything that I wanted amongst it. Plus, my fears are e'er assuaged past times the fact that everywhere I’ve been, in that location receive got been sort people in that location who are willing to assist in addition to learn me.
In Japan, a local offered assist when I was lost, in addition to instead of just directing me to my prepare stop/transfer, he came amongst me in addition to walked me the whole way. In Myanmar, a grouping of locals rushed over to assist me when I cruel off my scooter; they didn’t speak a give-and-take of English linguistic communication but their activeness made me realize that kindness itself is a universal language. This helped me overcome my fears in addition to decease braver.
Do 1 pocket-size affair everyday (Michelle, 45, from Alaska, of Pursuing Seven)
I’m currently a brace months into a three-continent mission to consummate my goal of visiting all 7 continents. At the fourth dimension of writing this, I am sitting inwards Christchurch, New Zealand, waiting for conditions to clear inwards Antarctica hence my flying tin acquire there, where I volition live working for 4 months. I wasn’t e'er this fearless in addition to adventurous, but I am definitely proud of who I receive got become.
Setting realistic expectations — which in all likelihood agency lowering them — helped me overcome my fearfulness of solo traveling. It sounds counterintuitive at first, but beingness realistic genuinely ends upwards beingness a gift to myself (and my mental sanity). Not every 24-hour interval is going to live epic, in addition to equally a solo traveler you’ll live the making all the decisions in addition to solving all the move problems you lot encounter, which takes a lot of unloose energy some days. Especially at the beginning, spell you’re finding your solo-travel groove, cutting yourself some slack; do 1 pocket-size affair every 24-hour interval that makes you lot happy, in addition to when you lot receive got an epic day, soak it all in!
Utilize tours in addition to apps to gain confidence (Peggy, 45, from San Francisco, California)
My foremost solo trip was the typical post-college European trip, in addition to my friend had to go out early. It was only 1 calendar week of solo travel, but I learned in addition to gained self-confidence that I could do this in addition to survive. 🙂 Decades later, I decided to follow my passion of seeing the world. I’ve been traveling for over 2 years, the bulk of it solo.
I typically start a novel metropolis amongst a costless or nominally priced walking tour. They supply a bully overview of the identify in addition to its history in addition to culture, addition local tips. I receive got met people on these walking tours that hit from going to sightseeing together the residual of the 24-hour interval to friends that I even hence rest inwards affect amongst to this day.
I also cheque the Couchsurfing in addition to Meetup apps for local events. Through these, I receive got bully memories of going to the Notte Bianca festival inwards Malta, hiking to pocket-size towns exterior of Frankfurt, in addition to tending a weekly java meetup inwards Brno in addition to social events inwards Budapest, Istanbul, in addition to Bishkek. When traveling solo, I’m non inwards a bubble amongst my friends. I decease to a greater extent than aware of my environs in addition to uncovering myself to a greater extent than opened upwards to local interaction, which has led to countless examples of people beingness incredibly sort in addition to helpful.
Start from your ain metropolis (Kathleen, 33, from Boston, of Lonesome Roads)
Once I realized I wanted to effort traveling solo, I decided I needed to exercise first. I started inwards my abode metropolis of Boston: going to a museum on my own, in addition to hence a motion-picture demonstrate solo. After that, tiffin lone at a prissy place, in addition to and hence dinner out past times myself (I yell upwards eating lone tin live the biggest affair to acquire used to!). Finally, I spent 2 days all past times myself inwards Portland, where I had lived for a year, hence it was familiar plenty to live comfortable, but I was fully on my own. And I had a wonderful time! I chatted amongst people inwards bars, I had a romantic dinner lone spell doing some top-notch people-watching, in addition to walked everywhere.
I in addition to hence fully laid off: solo trips to Miami in addition to LA, in addition to hence a stopover inwards Iceland for 2 days past times myself when coming dorsum from a trip amongst a friend, in addition to and hence vi days lone inwards Copenhagen. I loved it hence much that correct now, I’m 2 months into a yearlong solo trip inwards Europe in addition to Southeast Asia!
I’ve learned that politeness in addition to a few words of the local linguistic communication volition acquire you lot everywhere. That people are overwhelmingly sort in addition to generous. And that traveling solo gives my curiosity costless rein inwards a way that’s incredibly freeing, whether it’s exploring operas inwards Paris or befriending an Icelandic daughter inwards work for a bar bathroom. If I’m brave enough, you’re brave plenty too. You just mightiness demand a piddling practice.
Take the adventure (Caitlyn, 27 from Brisbane, Australia, of Girl Seeking Purpose)
Before departing on my six-month solo adventure through South America, I was plagued amongst dubiety in addition to fearfulness close all of the possible outcomes of traveling alone. I was concerned close whether it was safe equally a solo woman individual to travel inwards developing countries in addition to if I would live able to accomplish all of my intended destinations without confirmed move partners ahead of time. Most of all, I was concerned that I mightiness non run into anyone on the route to move in addition to part my experiences with. I was absolutely terrified past times the thought of beingness alone.
After reading countless spider web log posts in addition to forums, I began to realize that all of the fears I had close solo move were the same fears nosotros all receive got earlier nosotros accept that jump into anything novel in addition to unknown. It in addition to hence became clear that if I lived my entire life afraid of all of the possible things that could decease incorrect inwards whatever given situation, in addition to hence I would never go out my comfort zone, allow lone my theatre or my country. That just didn’t audio similar the life I wanted for myself.
Realizing this, I made the determination to human face upwards all of these fears caput on past times acknowledging their existence. I decided that I was going to force on to create my dreams a reality amongst or without them inwards the dorsum of my mind. Identifying that it was normal to receive got these concerns in addition to to realize it was possible to overcome them gave me the forcefulness in addition to confidence I needed to acquire on the plane.
During the in conclusion days earlier my flight, I reassured myself that 1 time I arrived it would all just autumn into identify in addition to run itself out. And that is precisely what happened. It was 1 of the most incredible, life-changing, in addition to defining moments of my life, in addition to I am hence glad I didn’t allow the fears halt me from taking that leap.
Start pocket-size in addition to familiar (Shae, 41, from Melbourne, Australia, of The Bright Eyed Explorer)
I’d e'er traveled amongst other people, but at historic catamenia 36, I just couldn’t rely on the comfort in addition to security that traveling amongst friends brings if I wanted to fulfill my dreams of traveling the world. I am a relatively shy in addition to somewhat introverted person, peculiarly around strangers, hence the thought of beingness inwards an unfamiliar province in addition to having to speak to people I didn’t know in addition to perchance non sympathise made my tummy churn!
For me, starting my solo travels pocket-size scale in addition to inwards a identify that I was real familiar amongst helped ease those fears I had of traveling alone. I’d been to Bali 5 times prior to my foremost solo trip, hence I was confident in addition to comfortable amongst my surroundings, the people, in addition to the lifestyle. This comfort in addition to hence enabled me to force myself a piddling farther — talking to strangers, bespeak for assist when I needed it — but also larn to appreciate the fourth dimension I had to myself inwards restaurants in addition to bars.
I receive got since traveled solo extensively through Europe in addition to Commonwealth of Australia (which is home), but in that location are even hence times that I even hence acquire a piddling nervous in addition to anxious close my upcoming trip. Generally, if this happens, I give myself a fighting of a pep speak in addition to remind myself that I am rigid in addition to brave. This volition to a greater extent than frequently than non give me a piddling confidence boost, which gets in addition to hence builds upwards my excitement levels in addition to and hence I am hence gear upwards to travel.
I promise these stories assist to demonstrate that in that location is no special gene, life experience, background, or historic catamenia that makes someone a goodness solo traveler. It doesn’t fifty-fifty require bravery to move lone — lots of us built that upwards along the way instead.
So delight don’t allow all of the things that could decease incorrect concord you lot dorsum from your dreams. Most of what nosotros worry close — non just related to move but to life inwards full general — never comes to overstep anyway. Focus on the adventures, the goodness times, the sunsets amongst novel friends, in addition to the learning experiences. The biggest pace is just to create the determination in addition to stick amongst it. After that, the residual falls into place.
Conquering Mountains: The Guide to Solo Female Travel
For a consummate A-to-Z guide on solo woman individual travel, cheque out Kristin’s novel book, Conquering Mountains. Besides discussing many of the practical tips of preparing in addition to planning your trip, the bulk addresses the fears, safety, in addition to emotional concerns women receive got close traveling alone. It features over 20 interviews amongst other woman individual move writers in addition to travelers. Click hither to larn to a greater extent than close the bulk in addition to start reading it today!
Kristin Addis is a solo woman individual move skillful who inspires women to move the globe inwards an authentic in addition to adventurous way. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 quondam investment banker who sold all of her asset in addition to left California inwards 2012, Kristin has solo traveled the globe for over 4 years, roofing every continent (except for Antarctica, but it’s on her list). There’s almost zip she won’t effort in addition to almost nowhere she won’t explore. You tin uncovering to a greater extent than of her musings at Be My Travel Muse or on Instagram in addition to Facebook.
Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips in addition to Tricks
Book Your Flight
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Book Your Accommodation
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