Why I love the airport when travelling solo.

I do a lot of things solo. 

I run my businesses solo Travel with Abeona, Stay Sotogrande, WCS Bespoke, travel solo, go to restaurants solo, exercise solo. In general I am just enjoying life solo!

I’m often out there doing things on my own. I make things happen. I’m a really good support function to friends and family. I get things done. Because of this, a lot of people think I’m a super confident extrovert. 

The truth is, I don’t find it easy to just throw myself out there. Eating on my own, going to functions on my own and networking on my own. All of that, I do find quite hard. 

Really I’m an introvert with extrovert tendencies. 

When you are the master of your own time, it can be really easy to find good excuses not to do something. I often force myself to do it because I know that once you are there you realise it’s actually not that bad and the more you do it, the easier it gets. 

One of the reasons why we often feel under pressure or are not comfortable doing things solo like networking or eating alone or going to a bar on your own, is because there are a ton of preconceptions that come with a woman doing things like this solo.

For me, the one place where all of that doesn’t exist is the airport. 

Airport equality when travelling solo

At the airport, everyone is equal.

When you go to the airport those preconceptions are just washed away because everyone around you has the same simple reason and purpose for being there – to travel.

In an airport it is 100% acceptable without judgement for a woman to be on her own and to do whatever she likes, on her own. Women travel on their own and they have been doing it for years. And so no one says, why is she sat in that restaurant on her own? Why does she not have anyone with her? 

You are validated. You have a purpose. You are travelling. Going from A to B. You might be meeting your partner,  your family, your friends. Nobody knows. Nobody cares. You are accepted as part of the norm rather than the exception to be taken note of, simply, because you are travelling.

At the airport it is a real joy to be able to go and do whatever you want. 

You do all sorts of different things. You go shopping. You can eat whatever meal you want at whatever table you like. You can drink whatever you want. Sit dreaming at the bar as you wait for your flight. No one thinks you’re there to pick up or pities you for being “all alone”. Everyone is in the same boat (well, planes really). In transit. Going places.  

So what I would like and I suppose my dream or the vision for the future, is for women to be able to extend that feeling of general disinterest from others into all aspects of life, so it becomes part of her norm. Make solo living for women acceptable everywhere. For women to harness that self reassurance to be able to go to a bar, go to a restaurant, go on holiday and do all of those things with that same level of acceptance that you get as a woman travelling solo in the airport.

No matter the activity, you are there because you have chosen for whatever reason to be on your own and you know what, it’s all right, it’s okay, it’s normal (and it’s incredible!).

So, how do we get to that point? 

How can we normalise solo leisure and lifestyles for women?

In my view, first we need to push the message more. Normalise women going to a restaurant, or a bar on their own. Enable women to have the choice. Allow that choice to be valid and without question or judgement

When travelling, I often love sitting in the hotel bar, admiring a beautiful view or just watching the world go by. I don’t want to feel like I have to go back to my room like a skulking Cinderella on a curfew, simply because I am a woman on my own and maybe people might think I’m hanging around hoping to “get lucky”. No. I am just enjoying the ambience and freedom and some well deserved time for myself. 

We also need to believe in ourselves. Allow ourselves solo time. Build our confidences up. 

Each venture out, no matter how big or small, is a massive win. A step towards normalising solo lifestyles and leisure time. 

We all need to work a lot harder to just accept without judgement that solo diner, the solo movie attendee, the solo concert goer, the solo traveller and see them in the same light that we see someone in transit in the airport. And for my fellow solo lifestyle enthusiasts? Make the world your airport. Be happy travelling solo. At home. Across town. Across the globe. 

At Travel with Abeona, we offer a range of luxury travel experiences for women travelling alone.

To begin your luxury solo female travel journey get in contact with our team of luxury travel planners by email abeona@travelwithabeona.com and we’ll be in touch to hear all about your trip so you can stop dreaming and start planning.