Travel Myths

            In the past few years, since I’ve discovered my passion for travel, I’ve heard a lot of people’s different opinions of travel. It seems that I’ve especially heard opinions about my type of travel- I travel solo, for weeks or even months at a time, sometimes in the third world, sometimes in countries that have a native language that I don’t speak, etc. As I’ve heard more and more people tell me what they think about that kind of travel, I’ve learned that there are a lot of myths and misconceptions out there. So, since a lot of those myths are rather annoying, and since I like doing these list-style blog posts, I’m going to try to bust a few travel myths. Here we go:

            Myth 1: You have to be rich to travel

            I very regularly hear people tell me that they can’t travel like me because they don’t have enough money. Let me say, the very large majority of the cost of this upcoming trip was paid for by me. And I haven’t won the lottery, nor have I just inherited a large sum of money. I paid off this trip simply by working and prioritizing travel. What I mean by that last part is simple: for example, I have a friend at work whom I swear goes to the movies at least once a week. It seems like every time I get on Facebook, I see a post that he’s at the movies. I recently said to him, “you know, if you waited until movies were out on Redbox for a dollar instead of spending twenty dollars to see them in the theater, you could end up saving a lot of money to take a vacation!” His response was that he really hadn’t thought of that before. That’s just how my mind works. I’m certainly not rich, but I prioritize travel in the decisions that I make because travel is one of my favorite things in the world.

            Myth 2: You have to be fearless to travel solo

            When I explain my travels to people, I very regularly get told that I’m fearless in response. Sometimes I’ll hear the word brave instead, which I like a lot more. Let me say loud and clear, brave and fearless are two different things. In the words of Nelson Mandela, “Courage isn’t the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” Trust me, I have just as many fears as the next person (don’t even get me started on the terrors that are clowns and dolls). Getting on that plane to the other side of the world, leaving home behind for months, being thousands of miles from anyone I know, can all be scary feelings. But going out and doing something that scares you is one of the most satisfying, fulfilling things that you can do. So I follow the advice of Eleanor Roosevelt: “Do one thing every day that scares you.”

            Myth 3: Traveling solo means you’ll be alone most of the time

            News flash everyone: there are people all over the world! Just because I’m not going with anyone I know on this trip doesn’t mean I’ll actually be alone. I stay in hostels, which are great places to meet people, occasionally I take group tours, and I volunteer abroad, which definitely helps me meet people- I can’t wait to be reunited with my fellow White Shark Projects volunteers! We only knew each other for a few weeks, but we became best friends in that time! I’m so happy that some of us are coming back to work together again. In fact, solo travel is a great experience for introverted, shy people, because it almost forces you to go out and talk to people. That’s one reason I like staying in hostels, because they provide the kind of environment where it’s okay to just go sit next to a stranger at breakfast and strike up a conversation.

            Myth 4: Solo travel is too risky (especially for girls)

            I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard someone say to me, “girls shouldn’t travel alone”, or something to that effect. This is the biggest travel myth that I’ve ever heard. So, time for some real talk everyone. My response to everyone that’s ever said that to me: your comments didn’t discourage me. They didn’t scare me. They didn’t make me question traveling solo. Traveling alone is one of the most empowering, eye-opening, fun things I’ve ever done in my life. Your ignorant, rude comments simply made me feel sad. Not sad for myself, not sad for you. Your comments made me feel sad for all the other girls you have and will encounter in your life. All the girls who might not be as brave, strong, or flat-out stubborn as I am. When those girls encounter your narrow-minded, misogynistic opinions, they might not see them as a challenge, as something to be proven wrong, like I do. Instead, they might see your opinions as instructions, as advice that they should actually follow. Your comments made me sad for the girls with big dreams that would let incredible, life-changing opportunities pass them by, instead of reaching out and grabbing them because you told them girls shouldn’t.

            There are certainly other travel myths out there, but these were the first few that popped into my mind, and I think this post is plenty long enough. I absolutely loved writing this blog post! See you in 24 days, South Africa! This post’s food for thought: “Never let the odds keep you from doing what you know in your heart you were meant to do.” H Jackson Brown, Jr.  

Booking Flights, Hostels, and Tours (oh my?)

            In the few weeks since my last blog post, I’ve done a lot more planning and booking of my trip to South Africa, which is coming up in less than a month now! I’m so happy to finally have my flights booked and paid for! That was the main thing that was still hanging over my head ever since I finished paying my costs of White Shark Projects, which was back in October. A couple of weeks ago I used the assistance of a travel agent for the time in my life and got my round trip flights to Africa booked and paid off. Thankfully, I was able to use the same route with the same airline that I used in 2015. The 24 hours of travel time between here and Cape Town is always rough (especially the 16 hour flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg), but I’ve survived it twice already, so I think I can handle it again. Thankfully at this point I’ve had enough experience maneuvering airports by myself that I don’t feel nervous about missing connections, nor do I feel the need to give myself four-hour layovers. I also like flying with Delta- the super long flight is never pleasant of course, but I feel like Delta, in my experience, has done a pretty good job of making it at least bearable. South African Airways, with which I’ve booked the flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town, I’ve also never had trouble with- not to mention the porters in the Johannesburg airport are super helpful!

            I decided that on this trip, I wanted to go a few days early so I could have some more time to spend in Cape Town, my favorite city in the world. I feel like there’s a lot of that city that I didn’t get to see on my last trip. So I will be arriving in Cape Town on the night of February 23^rd, and starting at White Shark Projects on February 28^th, giving me four whole days to spend exploring Cape Town. I’m so excited to also be returning to Atlantic Point, the beautiful little hostel that I stayed at in May and June of 2015- my deposit for my stay is already in! I spent my first night in Africa at Atlantic Point, and it’s a great place to stay! Not only is it very clean and friendly, but it’s also a ten minute walk from the V&A Waterfront, which is one of the best areas of Cape Town to hang out. I remember walking around that area in 2015, and whether I was by myself or with other travelers, I never felt unsafe. I also just booked a tour of Robben Island, a very important area in terms of South Africa’s history, on February 24^th, and the ferry takes off right from the waterfront- no need to schedule a taxi!

            Now that all the big stuff is taken care of (project costs, flights, hostel, etc.), I’m basically just playing the waiting game the next few weeks. It’s 26 days until I leave (yes, I’m counting down), and I have a feeling those days are going to drag. Thankfully I’m still working up until just a few days before I leave so I can have as much extra money as possible, which also makes the time pass a little faster. Anticipation is a fun part of traveling, but it can get annoying, since I’m already so ready to check out of reality and jump on that flight to Cape Town.

            South Africa, I love you so much, I’ve missed you like crazy, and I can’t wait to be back swimming with those gorgeous great white sharks, walking around the V&A Waterfront, and drinking Castle beer. See you in a few weeks. This post’s food for thought: “She is free in her wildness, she is a wanderess, a drop of free water. She knows nothing of borders and cares nothing for rules or customs. ‘Time’ for her isn’t something to fight against. Her life flows clean, with passion, like fresh water.”- Roman Payne