Since I was younger, I’ve always yearned to travel. I used to buy travel books and check them out from the library as a child. I would also grab all the free brochures in those travel agency businesses. It was my way to have pretend time and just think about where I would want to go someday. Our family vacations were the highlights of my childhood. For the most part my parents let me plan our vacations, because I was so into planning and researching. Once I got to college, I wanted to know what I could do next. How could I travel on a budget? I looked into different programs, but you don’t see the options that you see now (or maybe I just didn’t know where to look). I always tried to plan something, but it always fell through. I felt like I always had to travel with someone, because as a young woman I felt like I couldn’t travel alone. I just didn’t think it was safe. Once I got married, I started traveling and I was reminded of how much I loved it. My husband wasn’t the type to ever want to travel, so it was all new to him. It felt good checking off some of the places that I’ve always wanted to go to since I was a kid. My travel life list (I don’t like saying bucket list), is pretty long. There are so many places where I would want to go someday, and some of the destinations are places that people might not be interested in going. I’m just at a point in my life where I don’t want to not go somewhere just because I can’t find someone to go with. Which brings me back to the topic of solo travel.
When I would watch solo travel videos (of women traveling alone) it made me wish that I had the courage to do so. I let a lot of things stop me, mainly fear. I know it’s smart to be cautious sometimes but sometimes I wish I would throw caution to the wind sometimes. I just don’t want to miss out. One thing I’ve learned (especially in the last decade) is that life is short. We have to make the most of it. I don’t want regrets and what ifs. I want to do the things that I’ve always dreamt of doing. I recently heard a lot about travel groups, so maybe I will research some groups. Even though I’m very introverted, I would be willing to try if it was the only option. Would that mean I wouldn’t try solo travel in the future? No, not necessarily. There are a few places that I want to travel to that aren’t on a lot of people’s list or radar. If I wanted to complete my list, I probably would have to go a few places alone. Life is crazy and unpredictable (especially in the last few years). I don’t want to miss out on what could be awesome experiences and moments to remember. Life doesn’t wait for anyone. Might as well do everything that you can to achieve the things you’ve always desired.
So, if you are a woman who solo travels a lot what are some of the dos and don’ts of solo travel? What have you learned? What has it taught you? And if you have any tips on solo travel, or information on travel groups, feel free to share in the comment section below. Thanks in advance! xoxo
JustGottaMakeIt 