Even if you go on a remote island, you will still find people. And since humans are social creatures, most want to have a chat. The point I am trying to make is that staying truly alone is impossible unless you lock yourself up in a cabin in the woods with no wifi signal (or whatever your own version of “Into The Wild” is). Also, because I am active on Instagram, it keeps me feeling connected to the whole wide world at all times. 

You will always meet people when traveling and the most beautiful thing about it is that you can pick and choose who you actually want to share experiences with and for how long.

Traveling friendships can last from a couple of hours to a couple of weeks and some a lifetime. Some are made due to proximity and convenience and others because of a deep connection on some cosmic levels. The truth is, you will never know where it would lead. Typing this, I am sitting next to a friend I’ve made on my first day in Malaysia, who insisted on designing a website for me after seeing my Instagram account. Thank you Will ! Didn’t even know I needed a website but here we are in Kuala Lumpur Vintage 1988 cafe representing digital nomads on a Saturday morning. If I was traveling with friends or a boyfriend I really doubt I would have time and space, mental and emotional capacity to develop new exciting and productive friendships like this one. 

The main concern people have when they find out I am traveling on my own is my physical safety. It is widely assumed that having a guy next to you will highly improve your survival rates. Maybe. Maybe not. Screaming and running fast might also work, depending on the circumstances. I think the best strategy here is to avoid risky situations in the first place. So having awareness of your surroundings, having faith in your gut feelings, being selective about who you trust, developing strong and confident body language are key. Also, especially for females: wearing clothes appropriate for the particular culture and location is highly advised. You might believe that wearing booty shorts is your birthright and others should adjust to modern times but you could be exposing yourself to unnecessary attention and consequently, risk, depending on where you are. 

In my particular case, being a bit older than early twenties has helped a lot. I am much more comfortable in my skin these days and I no longer hesitate to abandon a person or situation which makes me feel uneasy, even if it offends someone.  At the beginning of my trip, I could hardly maintain eye contact when meeting new people, but today my eye gazing game is strong. Some men and women I’ve encountered on my trip used starring as a way of intimidation, but I quickly learned to stare back with the intensity which makes them retreat. But these are skills that develop fast when on the road, no matter how old you are.  

According to statistics, 58% of millennials are actually comfortable with traveling solo.

In fact, these days tourist agencies in Asia often aim their advertisements at young women traveling on their own. I meet a lot of female travelers on my journey and so I don’t feel like I’m doing anything groundbreaking or dangerous, as some people still might see it.  

As more women are empowered by economic independence, the world becomes a safer place to explore.  So my advice: take that trip you’ve been dreaming about and do it alone, it will make you a more interesting, more resilient and a more confident human. You might also find out that the world is a much safer, friendlier place than what the media wants us to believe. This is what I have discovered through experiencing hundreds of small and big act of kindness by strangers while traveling solo.