Wander Mak

Venturing out into the world is a scary proposition for even a small group of friends let alone a woman by themselves. There are so many misconceptions that women hold about traveling solo, however the reality is often very different and varies greatly case by case. I’ve lost count how many times that I’ve been asked by friends and family when I have announced a solo trip; “aren’t you scared?” or “is it safe?”.

The truth is solo travel has changed my life and my outlook in so many positive ways. It enriches oneself with daily unique experiences, broadens your horizons and gives you the tools and confidence to grow in ways like nothing else in this world can offer. Out there alone in the world one must learn to genuinely face fear and uncertainty head on in order to get through it.

Solo travel is exciting and exhilarating but it’s also completely terrifying and can be lonely at times. What makes the experience worthwhile is that it is totally and completely empowering in a way that will fundamentally change every thought and process you have. The whole premise of it is to isolate yourself from comfort and welcome in the challenges that differences in philosophy, culture, food and surroundings bring. I personally believe that It’s something every woman in this world should look to experience at least once in their life for a period. Anyway, let’s get into it!

Here’s 5 reasons why every female should travel solo!

1. To find yourself

It may sound cliche, but removing yourself from everything that you know and facing the big world alone and anonymously without anyone having any preconceptions of you ultimately gives you time. This time will bring challenges and experiences that gives you an undistorted insight of your deepest inner self without distraction or familiar influence. You will find things out about yourself you never knew, you will learn new skills you never thought existed and you will overcome things that you never knew you were capable of doing. There is always a whole new side of yourself to discover that has always been there, that you wish that you had always known about. You will come back feeling contented, empowered and embrace every part of your being without fear. There’s no better feeling to truly knowing, loving and accepting your full self.

2. Personal growth

Traveling the world comes with many challenges that will require you to pick up many life skills very quickly, especially when done alone. Although we live in a more globalised world, you cannot overly rely on your home comforts and skills that work at home to get you out of a tight spot overseas. Despite it being completely overwhelming and intimidating at first, you will surprise yourself at how quickly you begin to adapt and overcome challenges. With every day and every challenge, you will find yourself growing a little more confident and self assured in yourself. In no time you will transform into a stoic and independent woman who is confident in her own decisions and that is ready to take on what life has to throw in the next chapter.

2. To conquer your fears

Traveling the world as a female is often labelled as “dangerous” or “unsafe” however, this does not have to be the case. Although everyone should take due precaution when traveling, the world isn’t always as scary as it seems. When travelling alone, the instincts for survival become far more sensitive, therefore you will very quickly learn who, what and where to trust in order to stay safe. In addition to this, you will also find that the inhibitions for trying to converse in a new language or fear of trying something completely new will gradually fade away as it becomes your new norm. You will soon find yourself conquering fears that you never thought was possible.

4. Understand what matters

This was a really big thing for me personally. You will meet some weird and wonderful people in the world of travel who all come from such diverse backgrounds. Some you will wish you never met, while others stay in your life forever. Traveling through foreign countries gives you the opportunity to see how other people live and how their systems and countries’ living conditions effect them. It’s not uncommon in some countries to come across people working with missing limbs, or watching children carry buckets of water on their heads for kilometers all in the name of having fresh water for the family, it is an eye opener that gives you gratitude and appreciation on what is important in life in the knowledge that your reality is different to that.

5. To free your mind

Being able to step out into the world with nothing but a backpack or suitcase, is a liberating feeling like no other. It’s not what I would describe as an overly glamorous lifestyle, but it’s certainly the most freeing. This is because you have to be very radical and decisive when it comes to what to bring with you; you quickly learn that it’s perfectly doable to live with two T-shirts, a pair of jeans and one pair of Birkenstocks (not that I recommend but you get the gist of it). Again this is another cliche, but forcing oneself to detach from possessions and physical ‘stuff’ is nothing short of free therapy. When traveling and being exposed to so many unique and different things, you will not remember what clothes you wore or ‘that’ handbag; your memories will be based on the fact that your problems begin to feel pretty insignificant and the small amount of items you do possess become a figment of the memories and experiences you gain that cannot be lost to wear and tear.

I’m an Australian blogger based in Central West NSW who has spent the last few years exploring the four corners of the globe, living as an expat and falling in love with the world just a little bit more everyday. Here you can find my tips, guides and experiences to help inspire you for your next trip!

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