Solo Travel: Women Who Travel Solo

Solo Travel: Women Who Travel Solo

It had been a rough few months because of the administrative and clientele changes within my agency. I needed to get away to be refreshed, restored, and reinvigorated.

Fortunately, I was able to find an excellent price for a Norwegian cruise leaving from my hometown in New York going to San Juan, St. Martin, St. Thomas, and Tortola. Because I booked the cruise at the last minute, I had to wait until the day of the cruise to be assigned a cabin.

While I was waiting for my cabin assignment a staff person kept me entertained. She was friendly, cordial, and helpful. We were having an enjoyable conversation when she asked if I were traveling alone. When I replied yes, her body language and her verbal response made me feel as though I said I had the plague, leprosy, and every contagious communicable disease known to humankind. She actually jumped back, lowered her head, and stopped our conversation.

From my own encounters and speaking with other solo travelers, I have learned that people have issues with solo travelers, women in particular and especially Black women. There appears to be an unspoken stigma connected to solo traveling.

Thankfully I and other solo travelers have not allowed society’s opinions to discourage us from accomplishing our goal of seeing the world.

Here are some things I wish everyone would understand about women who travel solo:

Women who travel solo are not lonely.

Being by oneself does not make someone lonely. For women who travel solo our circle of friends is just as healthy as those who travel with others. Remember, loneliness is a frame of mind.

Being with someone or with a crowd does not prevent loneliness. You can enjoy traveling just as much by yourself as you can when you are with others. Sometimes even more so because you don’t have to deal with the different personalities and preferences. You are not waiting for everyone to decide what they want to do and when they want to do it, nor dealing with all the other things that can put a damper on travel. I don’t know about you, but I sacrifice too much in order to travel to let anyone dampen my experience!

Just because you travel with someone does not necessarily mean you have strong, healthy relationships or a bunch of friends. Mark Twain said it best: “I have found out that there ain\’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.”

Women who travel solo feel comfortable with themselves.

My experience as a social worker has taught me that many people do not like to do things alone because they are uncomfortable with who they are. They mistakenly believe that by always being with someone, it prevents them from having to interact with themselves.

People who travel alone feel comfortable with who they are. They enjoy their character, personality, and mindset. We feel good in our own skin. We like ourselves and are happy with our own company. No, this does not mean we are narcissistic or antisocial. These are personality disorders which have nothing to do with how one travels. We are comfortable being by ourselves or with others. We can be our own BFF.

Women who travel solo achieve their goals and dreams.

Traveling has been a life time goal for me. And just like when I aim to fulfill any other goal, I am not going to allow anyone or anything to hinder me.

I have found this to be true with most women who travel solo. They accomplish their goals in life. They do not look for approval or acceptance. They do not wait for everyone to get on board. They know what they want and go after it. They do not allow fear to hold them back.

They are go-getters, trend-setters. They are willing to start their own businesses. They possess the ability to strategically move up the corporate ladder. Because they have to deal with and overcome the stigma associated with overcoming, they have the courage, knowledge, and wisdom to achieve their dreams.

So many people miss out on opportunities in life because they are waiting for others to get on board with their plans.

Women who travel solos are financially savvy.

Travel is not cheap, but it is not as expensive as most people think it is. As travelers we have found ways to provide for our dreams. Many of us do not have the highest paying salaries either. We just find ways to save in order to reach our goals.

We learn the tips, tricks, and methods to traveling, like opening up a vacation club which allows us to save throughout the year. Or instead of paying for first or business class at the time of booking, upgrade during the check-in process where you can usually get huge discounts or as in those very rare occasions, may not be charged at all.

We learn when is the best time to travel to get the best prices on fares and lodging. And we know you don’t always have to stay in hotels. There are Airbnb and hostels. These are rated just like hotels.

Women who travel solo know that doing so builds self-confidence.

I will admit, traveling solo initially can be a little unnerving. But as with all new ventures, you have to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. Traveling solo forces you out of your comfort zone. It forces you to stretch your boundaries. You learn to think outside of the box. It helps you grow as a person. You will find yourself flexing and developing your self-confidence muscles.

This new found confidence will cause you to go after other ventures you have avoided because of fear of failure. Once you realize you can go to a foreign country and survive– not only survive but enjoy yourself– you become unstoppable! For many, the foreign country may be a different borough, city, or state. Wherever the destination, you have to step outside of your comfort zone in order to get there.