Damn, this has been a while actually for a real travel. Or just travelling to see some friends in another country count as well? I guess so then. Being on the road by yourself. Or better said, being on the road as a lady by yourself. How the experience with that is? That is for everyone to decide for themselves I guess.
What I can do is tell you a bit from this from my experience of travelling solo as a girl.
Pixabay
I come from a medium large city for Dutch standards. When you compare this with worldwide standard, I guess I come from a village after all ;). But living in Holland is already quite safe and the medium cities of Holland are also not the most criminal ones in the world. This means that biking home in the night is normal, this means that walking down the street is normal. And that means you also have a sort of confindence in your behavior from this, I guess.
So when I went travelling solo for the first time, I didn't think too much of it. I had flown enough to find my way on airports and on ticket searching. Also finding a new way in a city is not the most scariest thing to do for me. We all go to new cities, we take trains and busses and sometimes are wrong turn, but in the end we are verbal and know how to get home safely.
Pixabay
What I did find new is the social interaction when you are by yourself. See when you are new somewhere (which you often are while being on a travel spree) it is kind of difficult to notice if you end up in a conversation because of something random, or if it is because people see you are a lady on her own and want to make a try on something.
For instance, when I had reached a bad in the Caribbean for the first time by myself and I was waiting on some colleagues I ended up in a conversation with this old dude. Fun, I thought. And without having a tan literally the whole world could see I had just arrives as I was as white as a snow flake. So, conversation with a old dude. Safe I thought no worries.
After a bit of chit chat the stories he started telling got weirder and weirder and they even ended up that he used to be a Holleywood star. That is when I thought it was time to make a move and so I did. Over the months later I ran into this dude more often and it turned out he was a known druggy looking for another fix always.
Another time when I was on the beach by myself (I didn't have a dog back then) a dude put his towel next to mine and started with some chitchat as well (it always starts with this). After a while he told me he was a well known DJ and I could tag along on his next couple of gigs if I wanted, because he was filthy rich. Sure dude, this is all just a cheap move. Again, too much, too fast, and too weird.
Pixabay
So in the end I think that travelling by yourself as a woman is very doable, the only thing that is important is having your bullshit-radar wide open for weird people waiting to take advantage of it in whatever form.
The world isn't a scary place in total and you also shouldn't treat it that way. But what you should do is be aware of that other people might have other intentions and then you are good to go. Have some cash on you so you can always sneak out and take a cab. Have your phone charged always so you can call someone when it gets weird. The normal stuff.
Keep your eyes open and you will have a blast travelling solo!
Do you want to join in the Ladies of Hive question of the week #89 as well?
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