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.