Nerves abound for Solo Female Travellers 

Luxury travel experts

Women seeking solo travel experiences have much to consider before they can even start booking their adventure or dream retreat. Nerves abound. At Travel with Abeona, whilst being veteran solo female travellers (and doing it in absolute style), we too get the wobbles, feel the nerves and get overcome with self-doubt. Sometimes even the thought of planning the trip can seem overwhelming. Will we make the right decisions? Seek out the perfect venue? Feel safe? Can we cope with the challenges?

We’ve laid out the four big questions we all ask ourselves before embarking on a new trip. 

Can I abandon my responsibilities? 

In order to achieve the halcyon days of solo experiences we all have to make sacrifices and leave something behind. Worrying about whether you can leave the kids, partner, dog, cat, ageing parents, and the huge list of associated commitments at all, is a huge barrier to overcome. 

Wondering if everyone will cope without you can be almost crucifying, leaving you catatonically staring into space as you start to run through the humongous list of micro-tasks and project management required to create your absence contingency plan and activate the mission. 

Equally, for many of us, our work carries the same huge burden. We hold roles in which people rely upon us to be present. We keep the ecosystem alive. Our presence is vital 24/7. We become scared that stepping away for even a few days could cause the ecosystem to implode. 

You can do it, they will survive. 

Despite these pressures, sometimes you have to recharge your batteries, put your oxygen mask on first and ensure you have the continued energy to keep the ecosystem alive. Even a short break can leave you recharged, revitalised, more focused and capable.

Safety

Perhaps one of the biggest questions asked of ourselves is, will we be safe?  We know as women we face specific challenges and preconceptions when we decide to trot off around the globe alone. 

Similarly, it is only natural for our nearest and dearest to struggle with this element of solo female travel. Solo female travel may be a new concept for them – one they struggle to understand. Your desire for solitude may be received as a rejection of the norm, of your established connections. People who care for us will naturally worry about our wellbeing. As we start planning our adventures, not only do we have to face our own fears and nerves, we carry their concerns as well. 

Even though safety is a consideration, as with any type of travel, we can take measures to protect ourselves.  Allow ourselves to enjoy the freedom of solo female travel. 

Loneliness

Today, modern life is so full and busy. Our interactions and experiences are most often shared with friends, family and colleagues. So, time alone with ourselves becomes a gift we crave yet when we finally achieve the goal and undertake a solo female trip, very often we find an unexpected emotion surfaces – that of loneliness. We’ve all been privy to it when journeying alone. 

Sometimes, loneliness can creep up and surprise you at the best of times. You may be enjoying the most thrilling, heart lifting experience of your life and be full of joy yet simultaneously feel rather alone and wish someone were by your side to share the moment. Upon arrival sat in your hotel room, ready for the trip of a lifetime, you might suddenly realise it is just you and the loneliness and inertia starts to wrap its arms around you.  At times, you may long for nothing more than a nourishing conversation with a close friend.

Loneliness is a part of solo female travel, but it should not be feared.  It is part of the story arch, part of the battle with ourselves, one we can navigate and surpass. 

Coping with adversity 

In addition to concerns around our safety, we also have the worry of “coping”. Venturing forth on our travels alone means we will have to cope with any adversity we encounter – alone and without any back up. 

Admittedly, being away on your own means you may have to face some challenges alone – sickness, injury, loss of personal belongings, acts of god, emergencies at home. Yes, during a trip you may need to endeavour tough times, make decisions or change your plan at short notice. You may need to make choices and undertake some unexpected experiences. 

If we compiled a full list of everything that could go wrong, we’d never get on the plane. 

That said, we women are resourceful beings and when we need to rise to the occasion, we will roll our sleeves up and do what we must!. We have all the skills, the necessary mindset to cope with this. We’ve already had the training, we’re women, we can do this. 

Nerves are part of the journey

So, we have a lot to consider when we embark upon a journey without companions. Many questions to ask ourselves.  Yet, the lure of doing so is immense and hard to shake, simply because the rewards of solo female travel are abundant. 

We get through the tough moments and they become part of the journey, the fabric of our memories and contribute to the power and confidence that comes from journeying alone. 

In time, as solo travel becomes more habitual, the nerves lessen and you learn how to navigate the obstacles, regulate your emotions and build that critical muscle memory confidence that assures you – you can absolutely do this and it is amazing!

Get in contact with our team of luxury travel planners by email abeona@abeona-experiences.tempurl.host and we’ll be in touch to hear all about your trip so you can stop dreaming and start planning.