The Future (of Travel) is Female:
Part I
By: Meredith Miller
Published February 21, 2019
Good news, ladies - we're the future (of travel).
What the heck do I mean by that – Surely not that less men are traveling, right?
No. But more women are traveling today more than ever, and more are traveling solo! And they’re not just “girlfriend getaways.”Girls are booking more trips and planning their travels based on adventure and meaningful travel, not just a spa weekend. Girls are looking to go on trips that are going to give them something – peace, adventure, a great story – a trip to find themselves.
Now, I went on a road trip last March out to Salt Lake City, UT, with two of my best friends, Abby and Kara. We stopped in Denver and spent a day exploring Rocky Mountain National Park, and while we were in Utah we snowshoed, rock climbed, explored the city, hiked 5 miles to Diamond Fork Hot Springs, went to Arches National Park and hiked out to Delicate Arch at sunset..
I’m talking waking up at 6am every day and not going to bed until we had done everything we wanted to, every day. It was incredibly meaningful to be there with such great friends, in such a beautiful place.
It was an adventure.
But still...
We had driven out to Salt Lake City, by ourselves. As young women, we had to be careful where we would stop for gas, where we walked, whose attention we attracted, etc.. These are all stigmas surrounding young female travelers.
So even with all these stigmas, how is it that female solo travel is increasing?
Meet Kaina
(ky-een-ah),
our favorite female solo traveler;
a 23 year old from Northern Illinois who's spent the last 8 months traveling abroad - by herself.
I had the opportunity to interview Kaina and ask her some questions about what it's like to be a female solo traveler, and how she thinks solo traveling changed her life.
Q: Were all did you go on your first long-term solo trip?
A: I started in London, then Denmark, Poland, Hungary, Spain, Thailand, Cambodia, and Australia.
You can't let the fear of the unknown stop you from doing new things forever.
Q: What’s it like traveling as a solo female traveler?
A: Liberating. It’s something that I wish I could encourage every woman to do. It really teaches you to just be – to have that sense of independence to just drop into a new city and not know anybody and being on your own. You have your own back. You see what you’re capable of, and what you can do even when other people think you can’t. It’s not trying to prove a point that you can do this to anyone, it’s you figuring out what you’re capable of – and then once you figure that out, it’s motivation to see what else you can do.
Q: Before you left, what would people say when you told them your plans to travel solo?
A: “Haven’t you seen Taken or Hostile?” People really had a hard time understanding why, and I’d hear, “Are you really going alone?” “Aren’t you scared?” Which – let’s address that – I have always wanted to travel, and I couldn’t just let being scared to keep me from experiencing this. And that’s a reason I think a lot of people don’t choose to travel solo; they’re scared. They see all the things on the news; terrorist attack here, woman abducted there, etc.. Obviously we have to be aware that these things do happen, and of course you can’t have the attitude of, “It’ll never happen to me,” but you can’t let the fear of the unknown stop you from doing new things forever.
Q: What are some things you had to be more cautious about than a male would have to be?
A: It really comes down to being in touch with your intuition and trusting your instincts when it comes to the people you meet, or if someone invites you to go somewhere, or where you go.
Even when you go out for a drink, and you’re alone – it’s general knowledge, don’t leave your drink alone. You need to have a heightened sense of your surroundings. But it’s also finding that balance of not letting paranoia and fear get in the way of experiencing the moments you’re living.
Q: What were some of the assumptions people made about the reason(s) you chose to travel solo?
A: I think people assume you’re running away from something. They never assume you’re running towards something, or leaving to learn more about yourself. The world is so big, how could you not want to go wander around it? Whether it’s exploring the town one over from yours, or traveling across the globe.
Q: Were you searching for something on your travels?
A: Clarity. I had set myself up to go to NIU for Nursing, and last January I just had this feeling that I needed more time to figure out what it is that I “want to do with my life.” So I withdrew my application, and all of a sudden I had a whole year of time – the timing for this trip literally just fell into my hands. So I took the opportunity to go, and I bought a one-way ticket to London.
Get comfortable with the uncomfortable...you'll be surprised at how much you learn about yourself.
Q: Do you agree that travel helps a person gain perspective and become a better person?
A: Yes, 1001%, yes. Not only does it help you gain perspective on worldly matters, it helps gain perspective on yourself. You are exposed to so many different things and different cultures, and you have to figure out a million new things and how to cope with new emotions and places. You learn how to enjoy your own company.
One of my favorite things to say is, “Get comfortable with the uncomfortable.” It’s scary to think of traveling anywhere by yourself, but the more you embrace putting yourself out of your comfort zone – well, you’ll be surprised at how much you learn about yourself.
When I travel, I don't feel small, I come back home having learned something new about myself, feeling refreshed and inspired.
As always, thank you for reading! I hope we helped inspire you to search for your own clarity, wherever you go! Feel free to leave a comment below, or share your own story!
Don’t forget to check out some of my other blogs!
I love talking about topics that I am passionate about, like Minimalism, Environmentalism, Full-Time RVing, you name it:
Why Travel is Good For The Soul
Our First Trip: Learning How to Survive in an RV during Winter
Make sure to check out the Best of the Interstate, where you can easily find all the best attractions and businesses along the U.S. interstates. The Best of the Interstate helps to make your road trip about the journey just as much as it is about the destination!
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