Independent women weren’t always as easy to come by as they are today. Some of the greats had to pave the path for the rest of us to travel and shine.
One of those fierce, inspiring, independent women who helped fuel the narrative that women can be and do whatever they so choose, was none other than Miss Aretha Franklin.
In her honor and in her memory, as I sit here grooving to my Aretha station on Pandora, this week’s post is all about independent women travelers—words of wisdom from those who are doing it, to inspire those who aspire to. So here, let these 10 tips on solo female travel from some of the best lady travelers in the industry, wash over you. (Four of them are from me, and not because I think I’m one of the best lady travelers in the industry, but because I think a list of 10 is better than a list of six).
On just doing it
“I strongly recommend everyone travel by themselves at least once in their life, it’s liberating! It’ll be easier to meet new people and you won’t have to spend hours trying to coordinate how to spend your time like you would within a group. Most important of all, you’ll be forced to learn about yourself, trust your own judgement and be independent. My best advice I can give you is to be street smart, open and aware. You can do it. You should do it!” —Lee Litumbe of Spirited Pursuit, from her blog (Follow her stunning Instagram adventures around Africa @spiritedpursuit)
On safety, first and foremost
“Obviously the number one concern when traveling to new place is going to be safety. You can check this easily online but reaching out to other women who may have visited your destination is always a great idea. Sometimes the U.S. State Department website strikes fear into you where it may be unnecessary, so check with as many sources as possible—specifically people who have been. Secondly, picking a country where you’ll feel comfortable is extremely important: That may mean considering language, religion, or the level of conservatism. When traveling solo as a woman, confidence is important, and comfort enhances confidence!” —Jessica Nabongo of The Catch Me If You Can, as told to Condé Nast Traveler (Jessica is on a mission to be the first black woman to travel to all of the countries in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram @thecatchmeifyoucan)
On embracing the benefits
“Want to spend four hours in that local market uncovering every single pillow case/handmade necklace/straw bag you can find? Do you. No one will be complaining of tired feet or hunger pangs or boredom or whatever other complaints annoyed/annoying people tend to have. Want to geek out in that museum others might find slightly uninteresting? Or spend the whole entire day doing absolutely nada on a beach but working on your tan and deciding whether the next drink should be another rum punch or something new? You. Can. Do. Whatever. You. Want.” —Me, from me.
On partnering with other powerful women
“Who better to understand your plight, your fears, and your concerns than another female travelling on her own? I seek out those like myself before and during my travels, both to get the skinny on what its like to go it alone as a female in certain places, as well as to potentially buddy up on day trips and the like once I’m there. A few summers ago while travelling solo around Eastern Europe, I made friends with an American on our severely delayed train from Vienna, Austria to Krakow, Poland. By the time we got off the train, we were fast friends, and we shared our travel experiences over dinner. Our conversation about what it’s like to travel as a girl was probably one of the most enlightening I’d had all that year, and we were shocked at how much our travel styles complimented each other.” —Oneika Raymond of Oneika the Traveller, from her blog (See where she’s headed next on Instagram @oneikatraveller)
On taking tours
“Tours aren’t all sneakered khaki-wearing tourists. Sometimes they are a great way to be solo and accompanied at the same time. When I went to Beijing by myself, I took a tour to see the Great Wall that ended up coming with a built-in friend group. We laughed together, we complained about the steep steps on the Wall together, we took turns taking pictures of each other, and we had a good time. I know tours can be lame, and in some cases you want to go at your own pace and get your own takeaways, but sometimes the right tour in the right place can be completely worth it.” —Me, from me.
On capturing the moment
“Offer to take pictures of couples and friends who are trying to take pictures of themselves and each other. In return you will have a great or not so great photographer for yourself. Either way, at least you will have something to show for that moment even if it’s off-centered and you weren’t ready yet!” —Kellee Edwards of Kellee Set Go!, from her blog (Kellee recently became the second black woman to have her own show on Travel Channel, Mysterious Islands. Follow her adventures on Instagram @kelleesetgo)
On not feeling alone
“First and foremost, you are not alone. Alone carries with it that heavy negativity of loneliness or abandonment. You are not lonely or abandoned—you are bold and brave and doing your own thing on your terms and only your terms. Traveling solo, believe it or not, is something some people envy because they don’t see themselves doing it, so they admire it. You wanted to do something, and you went and did it, because you are independent. Keep that in mind.” —Me, from me.
On shopping
“Support women businesses, even if it’s a store. This is a great tip that I learned when I was in Mexico (where I go surfing every winter). I met one of my closest girlfriends in a jewelry store. I was just looking at jewelry and she was working at the store there. Flash forward: We’re really close friends.” —Nneya Richards of ‘N A Perfect World, as told to Forbes (Check her out on Instagram @nneya)
On treating yo’ self
“Because you’re solo, you have time to treat yourself. And you should. When you travel unaccompanied, you tend to be more efficient and less pressed for time because you’re not losing precious hours discussing what to do next or waiting for however many other people to get ready. There’s really something extra beautiful about pampering yourself during a trip, which is a sort of pampering in itself, and it feels great. Consider it a reward for being such a badass-bold-brave-independent solo traveler.” —Me, from me.
On finding what you went for
“Travel changes your scenery — not your circumstances.
If you have depression, anger issues, or debt, being in Paris won’t change that. I think we tend to glamorize all aspects of travel and we also feel like if we don’t come out as better people, then we’ll have wasted our money and time. Travel is an organic journey. Don’t force the growth. It’ll happen as a byproduct of your experiences, which come from you taking risks.
As long as you jump, you’ll find your wings, and you’ll learn how to fly on the way down. While we can never see a lesson in the moment, hindsight’s vision is 20/20.” —Gloria Atanmo of The Blog Abroad, from her blog (See where she’s headed next on Instagram @theblogabroad)