Traveling just soothes me from top to bottom, it is like blood has started flowing in every part of my body. Traveling has given a different and beautiful direction to me in terms of everything like how I think, how I perceive, how I reciprocate, how I treat people, how I take my life, and many more. There are only a few things in my life that rejuvenate my spirit; one is traveling; another one is teaching and my job because that gives me the life I want to have.
So, whenever I get a chance and have money, I plan to travel solo only, and to be honest, I do not prefer anyone's company and travel is the only place where I get to know myself better every time and there is always a different and updated version of me in terms of everything. As we are all busy in our day-to-day life and responsibilities, so this is the only escape that I get, so I do not want to take a chance and ruin it. Though I am a very talkative person, and it is easy for me to make friends and earn people so wherever I go, it just happens that I can make friends. And honestly, I love interacting with people who share the same vibe as mine.
But few interactions landed me in the wrong company and wrong people but nothing bad happened as alacrity of mind was always with me. I am not scared of dying or bad things but scared of the aftereffect of those bad things in life that it should not crush my dream of traveling solo as I am not looking at this as a short-term journey as I want to travel till my last breath. Remember, there is just one life, do what you love the most and create a remarkable history for everyone who wants to follow their dream and passion.
Judgment
The number one thing I struggle with as a pretty girl who travels solo is no matter what I do, what I wear, how I look, or how I interact, people are going to judge me even for doing something, I worked hard for, and love. I am unable to understand that why people conclude that a woman solo traveler is not a woman with dignity and respect. Why is it inferred as any other agenda rather than travel? Why?
Recently after my few solo trips, I learned that there are tons of women who face the same problem as me when they travel solo. So, I am going to go ahead and preach about judgments on how it affects our travel, our mental peace and it cause more of them. So, let me get down to the actual point and Its high time people should change their thinking about a woman traveling solo as the struggle is real for them. So, to clarify:
No, I do not need unwanted attention from men!
Those ogling eyes of creepy men devouring every square inch of the body are by far the most repulsive and scariest feelings ever. To make it even worse, some men passed some loose comments or kind of provocation slur or they even try the aggressive attempt at further solicitation which is extremely offensive and dangerous.Some men also think that when a pretty woman travels alone, she is looking for a guy. There is no way you can stop a man to think this way because you cannot change anyone's mindset. They do not understand that how much it affects us, we do not feel safe at all. Sometimes, it is even difficult to roam in the city all alone by yourself because of fear that what if somebody comes and holds your hand or even if they do something.
I have had men following me who wanted to talk to me, gave me those staring eyes which scared me to death, and they wanted to be friends with me unnecessarily and whatnot, all because I look pretty, and I travel alone. But I have a question to ask men, what if, it was your sister or mother or girlfriend or fiancé or wife who had traveled solo or wants to. Would you be able to take all these if any other men do the same with your women?I have heard so many stories all over the world about how women have been grabbed, touched, and even attempted to be traded because a man has the wrong impression of women who travel alone.
No, I am not recovering from a breakup!
Kashmiri Dress,A picture taken in Kashmir
Well, while traveling solo people think that I am doing this to get over a bad break-up. Well, it is a genius idea but that is not the reason I am traveling alone. I travel alone but I like this way. I do not expect every human to know my relationship status whether I am single or committed or whatever it is. It is my passion and extreme love of traveling and that is the reason I want to travel alone. It has nothing to do with whether my relationship failed or working, or I am doing this to get over something or I need something to distract myself. Well, the only commitment I have now is traveling the world and I think I am doing a great job at it by myself.
Yes, I paid for the trip!
Well, the questionable glares at my photos after pasting them on social media just throws a lot of comments or thought on people's minds is “who paid for the trip?”
Well to answer this question, I would like to mention that I have a job just like you do, and I choose to save all my money for traveling rather than expensive clothes or fancy parties or buying materialistic things. Also, I work part-time to save money fulfill my dreams of traveling. I do not have any funding agency or a boyfriend or not running any campaign that funds my traveling. It is me who save every single penny to travel. I remember I told my friends I do not want to join them for a new year party because, with that amount of money, I can save for my next trip. So basically, I would prefer to spend my money on buying a travel ticket than some fancy purse.
Yes, I am traveling alone and asking people's help to click my pictures, or I use a selfie stick!
Enjoying the Snow...
Well, while traveling alone it is difficult to click one's pictures but honestly, we do get people who click our pictures on our phone itself without any other intention, we do get family, we do get couples who also want their pictures to be clicked. So, it is like favoring each other. So, it is all about the mindset and it is a simple answer that the world is not creepy as your mind. Also, there are facilities such as you can pay people for clicking your photos, you can use the timer, selfies sticks, and many more.
I am amazed that how people have ample time to waste on thinking such things rather than utilizing their energy into something useful like reading, talking to close people, writing, and many more. But this shows that you have a thing to peep into other's business rather than minding your own.
Yes, I am judging you back now!
So, after facing all these comments, I tend to judge a person's thinking not immediately but eventually and prefer to stay away from that person because they have so much toxicity to offer so better to stay rather than killing your vibe. Growing both mentally and spiritually is important for any human soul to be satisfied with things they do to keep the momentum of life going. Travel, Explore, and Repeat!
Joe Marks
Dec 13, 2022 at 15:47
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