One thing I’ve been thinking about more and more lately is traveling. I want to travel within my state, visit other neighboring states, explore around the country, and travel internationally. But my desire is mixed with fear. Mostly fear of the unknown, but also very real fears of getting lost or in some other form of deep trouble.
Why now? What has sparked this wanderlust? Mainly the fact that I’m bored. I also have more money now than I did several years ago, and being older and living on my own makes independent travel more of a possibility. Living on my own has given me a nasty case of cabin fever – I want to get out and explore!
For a single young lady, going on solo adventures can be a bit of a risky business. There are always going to be people out there who want to take your stuff or hurt you. But if you think about it, those types of people are everywhere, and from what I hear, the good people outnumber the creeps (I sincerely hope that this is true). I just need to be smart and use common sense.
You may be thinking, “Well, why don’t you go adventuring with a friend? Strength in numbers, and all that.” And my reply would be that yes, that’s an excellent idea, but I would first need a friend with which to go adventuring. Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not an isolated, lonely girl – I just need a friend who shares my desire for adventure. And someone who has the time and money. That would help.
Getting real here for a moment… over the past several years I’ve discovered that I am a scaredy-cat when it comes to going to new places or trying new things. I tend to first think of all the things that could go wrong, which twists my brain and stomach into knots, so I just give up on the idea altogether. As I stated earlier, some of these concerns are valid, though most of my concerns are those one-in-a-million catastrophes. I still haven’t figured out good ways to overcome these fears. Some people recommend simply jumping into the deep end and going on an adventure, learning as you go along. This sounds like the most likely method, as every time I try to “prepare” I end up worrying more than planning!
I don’t know about you, but one thing I’ve always wanted to do is to take a solo road trip… and I’m realizing that my parents may have a mild panic attack when they find this out! I know how to drive, I like seeing new places, and there are so many cool things to do and see within a day’s drive of where I live.
So what’s holding me back?
Money? (Work extra hours, save more, spend less)
Time? (That’s what days off and vacations are made for)
Courage? (*crickets*)
You see a theme here? Maybe I just need to take a day/weekend trip to a nearby destination, just to practice stretching my wings, so to speak. Perhaps a nice day trip in which I could be home by nightfall. I’ll let y’all know how that turns out…
P.S. – If any of you have any favorite travel advice, especially for women traveling solo, please leave a comment! 🙂
A Special Strength 
Hi Hannah! I completely relate to this article and in fact just posted an article on my blog TODAY about this exact topic. You’re NOT alone in each of these sentiments. I was you 15 years ago and took baby steps to overcome my fears and thoughts that held me back. I started with small solo trips domestically and to Westernized, English-speaking places and learned and grew along the way. Eventually I was ready to travel abroad alone and never looked back. Give yourself time. But just go out there with a goal to push yourself a little more each day and you’ll get there and you’ll know when you’re ready. Happy happy travels! And all my best!
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