How To Overcome The Fear As A Solo Conscious Female Traveler

Your first time hitting the road? I know, to be prepared for any solo trip often bring us fears that we didn't even know that we had before.

I remember my first time traveling abroad. I was 21 years old and knew nothing about how the world looked like outside of Brazil. I felt anxious, I created different scenarios in my head of things that could go wrong. What if my English was not good enough? What if I got lost and nobody helped me? What if I felt alone most of the time?

It is completely normal to feel fear and insecurity but we can never let these uncertainties stop us from going after our dreams. For these reasons I have prepared a list for you of possible fears that you may be before you first solo travel. And, of course, my best suggestions on how to overcome them.

Safety

As I write this article a friend of mine has just suffered an accident in Vietnam. She was traveling alone and was attacked by four men on the road because they thought she was American. Situations like this often make us question how safe it is for a woman to travel the world alone. Situations like this, make us question how safe it is for anyone to travel the world alone.

Let's face it: violence against women is real. And it is epidemic all over the world. I come from a country in which the rate of feminicide is the fifth-largest in the world. Only in January 2019, 107 cases of murdered women were registered in Brazil. So it is not surprising that we are afraid. The truth is women are conditioned to feel fear. It doesn’t matter if you're taking a taxi by yourself in Thailand or just walking two blocks from your house during the night.

Tip: Once you stop and do a basic google research, you’re going to realize that traveling abroad makes you statistically safer than staying at home.

Loneliness

One of the most common fears I hear from people is that of loneliness when traveling alone. The truth is that most of the time you will be meeting various people and will be amazed at the frequency at which you will actually be accompanied by someone.

Tip: my tip for those who are starting their first solo travel is to seek lodging in hostels and the chance to meet other people who are also traveling alone is certain.

Unwanted attention from men

Unfortunately we still live a cultural reality where it is common to hear about situations of sexual harassment in travel. Everyone is subject to this problematic situation, but in our social context women are the biggest victims of sexual harassment, especially if they are solo travelling abroad.

Tip: avoid hitchhiking alone or finding yourself in situations in which is hard to escape from an unwanted approach. And, the best advice is to always hope for the best but don't forget to be prepared for the worst.

Dinner for one

I always hated having to have lunch or dinner alone. I thought having company during a meal in a restaurant was essential, because having to eat alone was lonely from my point of view. Until I had to start doing this during my travels. And the most interesting thing was that I started to enjoy the food more and enjoy these moments more.

Tip: Try to go to a restaurant in your city first and choose a food you have never tried before. Let yourself be entertained and savor this meal without any other distraction. You will see that you did not even have to be afraid of it in the first place.

As a solo traveler you should always remember to keep an open mind but trust your gut at the same time. Seek out acitivities where you will meet other people and try to understand the local cultural norms of a place to avoid uncomfortable situations.

Here I share with you a link of another Travel Blog with stories of other solo travel women to inspire you to let go of the fear.