Living Dangerously as a Solo Female Traveler

LIVING DANGEROUSLY

by Eunice Adjei

For the longest time, I have always believed that travel is a group activity. You travel with someone and to go see someone, not living dangerously as a solo female traveler.

For the first 23 years of my life, I had been itching to travel – wanting to see the world and experience all its uniqueness firsthand. Between 23 and 24 something changed. I am not sure when, but the realization that I can go anywhere as an individual finally took root in me. Often we hear people say, “The world is your oyster” or “Anything is possible if you believe”. But do we actually believe it? We get so absorbed in our day to day lives; our job(s) and other commitments that sometimes we underestimate our ability to go out into the world, do what it is we want to do, and be who we want to be.

After a few failed relationships, falling out with friends, and growing in a way that made me feel like I didn’t quite fit in, I realized that I can’t wait for people. I can’t wait for people to invite me to outings, to go on trips with me – I can’t wait to live my life.

I remember asking a group of friends if we could plan a trip together. Half of them had commitments that made it difficult for them to travel, others were more interested in “Bae-cations”. The difference in our priorities wasn’t something I took personally, but I realized I really needed to make this happen.

I can’t live a life of waiting.

So I started to look into solo female travelers and I found a community on Facebook for women of different ages; some newbies, others frequent travelers. I refused to believe that a woman can’t go out into the world alone, so it was inspiring to read firsthand accounts of how much their lives changed when they decided to take back their power.

This was when I started planning my first solo trip to Bali. I read their stories and their tips on how to be safe as a woman traveling alone.

I read, researched and planned. My mother was scared, and a few friends questioned my sanity for wanting to venture out into a place where I knew not one person and I had never been before.

I went anyway.

I can honestly say that I am thankful for all the fearless women who put themselves out there and live their lives to the fullest (including April of Love Lust or Bust). I won’t ever be able to articulate how I felt when I met April – she was such a breath of fresh air, a true gypsy. I hope all women can take steps to enriching their lives, even if it means going on the journey alone. It is a journey worth taking – it is a journey of self-discovery!