“I travel alone”, a picture book for women who want to travel solo

Hostelworld Blog | Posted on March 27, 2019 |

would you like to travel alone? Are you thinking of going on a solo trip but don’t know where to start? Don’t worry, I, one day, was also in your shoes, I also spent months dreaming of travelling alone, but I couldn’t bring myself to take the plunge.

That’s why, after four years of travelling, I have published “Yo viajo sola“(Lunwerg, 2019), an illustrated book to encourage all women who, perhaps like you, want to take the plunge into travelling but don’t know where to start.

And you are not the only one, there are many women who dream of embarking on a solo trip, but month after month and year after year, they keep putting it off. Due to the lack of budget, to all the prejudices and, above all, to the many fears and stereotypes they have learned.

We have been taught to fear, we have been told ad nauseam the giant list of things we should not do, the many risks and dangers to which, for “our safety”, we should not expose ourselves. We have been told not to go out at night alone, not to travel alone, not to wear miniskirts that are too short.

And the worst thing is that we have been told so much that we have ended up believing it, stopping doing many things because of it. Thinking everything twice, or three times, or four times, instead of doing it. Making mental lists of pros and cons, listing the risks. Convincing ourselves that maybe it’s best to leave it for another time.

Yes, there are women who travel alone, some of them we have seen and read about, but we don’t have the necessary resources or the tools to do it. The best thing to do is to look for company, wait for the stars to align or leave the dream of travelling alone on standby, waiting for the ideal moment.

That’s why, for all those women who, like me one day, want to travel alone, but still can’t bring themselves to do it, I have written “I travel alone“. It is the book that I would have liked to read before starting to travel, in January 2015 when, having already decided that I was going to embark on a trip, I spent hours and hours diving on the internet in search of other women travellers and advice to start my first trip alone.

I read articles by solo travellers, hitchhikers, and those who stayed over at strangers’ houses. And although their stories were inspiring, I thought it would be different in my case, to begin with because I am quite small and, above all, because unlike the protagonists of the stories I read, I was a woman, with the inequality that this entailed and, above all, with the risks that I had been taught to believe that travelling alone entailed.

Who I am: my story

For those of you who don’t know me yet, I’m Andrea Bergareche, the author of the travel blog Lápiz Nómada and, for more than four years, I’ve been travelling alone. As I say in the book “I’m Andrea, a girl like you, an ordinary girl. I weigh less than 50 kilos and I’m less than 1.60 metres tall, I’m not what you’d call an ace at self-defence. The backpack I travel with, no matter how many times I try, always weighs more than it should and, when I walk with it a lot, I always get tired.

I am also one of the disoriented group of people you can see wandering around the street trying to figure out, without much success, which way the arrow on Google Maps is pointing. I’m anything but an early riser and I’m almost always late everywhere. I’m not super-active, I’m more of a mess and I hate planning.

And yet, for the last four years I have been travelling, writing and drawing. I tell all this in Lápiz Nómada, the art and travel blog I started when I embarked on my first solo trip.

That trip in which I travelled around South America for almost seven months, visiting seven countries with a backpack on my back, almost always hitchhiking, staying in the homes of strangers who became friends thanks to Couchsurfing and improvising the journey at every step”

And yes, that’s me. The same one who is now writing this article from India, the one who plans to be travelling around Asia for a year, the one who at 27 years of age has already travelled through 26 countries, some by hitchhiking, others by motorbike, others by public transport. Here in India the train is my favourite means of transport.

And the same one who, more than four years ago, when she thought that in less than a month she was going to travel to Argentina to start a solo trip, was scared to death and sometimes even cried her eyes out, wondering who would have told her to dare to do something like that.

And I have been lucky, my parents have always been travellers, I grew up travelling with them. At first in a car and tent, then in a van and I even went on my first backpacking trip with them: a month in Tunisia with my backpack on my back.

Despite having the support of my family, the fact that my parents instilled in me the desire to travel and that I had been living in Mexico for more than two years, the idea of a long solo trip, if it’s the first one, is always scary, because we don’t know what we’re going to find or what it will be like.

The origins of Yo viajo sola

As that first trip was a success and I discovered that fears disappear as soon as you start travelling, on my return I decided to write “My first solo trip”. It was a small booklet as a guide for all those who, like me before starting my first big trip, want to travel alone, but still have fears or don’t know where to start.

It was a humble little book, very handmade, that I printed thanks to the help of a friend in a printing press in Mexico without imagining that this book would be the seed that would give way to “Yo viajo sola”, the illustrated book that I have just published by Lunwerg, one of the Planeta imprints.

I never imagined then that my book would be on display in bookshops alongside the Lonely Planet guides I was travelling with at the time. Nor that it would have the opportunity to reach so many women so that, little by little and day by day, more and more of us would be encouraged to go out on the road, to travel alone and to do what we feel like doing without fear, without prejudice, without following stupid stereotypes we have learned.

That this small grain of sand would grow and become a ball. That a publishing house like Lunwerg would trust me and give me total freedom to write and illustrate the book that I would have liked to read before starting to travel.

“I travel alone”: the book that will encourage you to embark on your first solo trip

“I travel alone” is a beautifully illustrated book. It has all the keys and all the answers to those questions that, if you want to travel alone, you are probably asking yourself. It is written from my own experience, from the four years I have been travelling solo, both in America, Europe and also in Asia and Southeast Asia.

And yes, it has an autobiographical component, but, above all, it is a practical book. A book designed to erase all your fears and excuses at a stroke. To explore the inner self before the trip, the fears we have and the reasoning we do. In the motivation that, despite the above, drives us to travel alone, to desire and dream of doing it.

It is full of tips, of tricks for travelling cheaply, for organising the trip and for making the most of it beyond the typical lists of things to see and do.

It is divided into two main sections: “Explore yourself” and “Explore the world”. It begins with a brief introduction to the world of travel and my personal story of how I came to travel. It ends with a third chapter where I make a more narrative tour of some of the emotions and experiences that I have lived and that if you dare to travel, you will experience.

Explore yourself

after the introduction and the brief journey through my personal history, “Explore yourself” is the first chapter, one of the two big blocks that make up the book.

In it we will explore everything internal, starting with “what we have been taught”, i.e. the education we have received. We will continue with “what holds you back”: the main fears. The fear of something bad happening to us, of getting sick, of running out of money, of telling those around us, or of feeling lonely while travelling.

We will also explore “what motivates you” – the reasons why you want to go on a big trip. It’s practical, so the idea is that you get to work and explore yourself, making a list of those fears and their origins, as well as a list of your motivations.

We will also talk about the advantages and disadvantages of travelling alone and travelling with others. I will propose you to do a “pilot test”, a short trip that can be anywhere you want, even to the next town. The idea is for you to try out how you feel travelling alone, eating alone in a restaurant or what it’s like to spend the night in a hostel and meet other travellers.

I will introduce you to the travel diary, one of my favourite tools for recording experiences and exploring your moods. I will propose some questions for you to write down and answer while you let yourself flow because, as Anáis Nïn said, “we write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect”

Explore the world

And now it’s time to start preparing for your big trip, choosing your destination, preparing the necessary documentation and packing your luggage. To do this, I will give you all the keys and tools that I have learnt throughout my travels.

We will start by choosing one or several destinations, depending on your tastes, the type of experiences you are looking for and what each country has to offer. I’ll also show you how to set a budget and work out what your approximate daily spending will be in your chosen destination. How to carry your money and some tips on how to save unnecessary fees abroad.

We will also talk about the necessary travel documents, where to find out if you need a visa or other documents that will help you throughout your travels and how to get them.

I’ll show you the possible means of transport and their advantages and disadvantages, because it’s not all buses, trains or rental cars. There are many alternative ways to get around that will make your trip cheaper and offer you local experiences.

We will also explore the different accommodation options, from the well-known hostels or hotels to alternative options, such as Couchsurfing, Housesitting or the many platforms for volunteering, among other possibilities that I will show you.

I will show you the minimum packing list when preparing your luggage, whether you travel with a suitcase or a backpack. How to reduce weight and packing tips, because as they say, “when you have your backpack ready, take off half of it”.

We’ll also talk about safety, the thing that worries us so much. I’ll explain my tips for staying safe on a trip and how to react to tricky situations.

Another of the topics covered by “I travel alone” in this second section is health. I will tell you which vaccinations are essential and how to get them, tips on how to stay healthy, how to choose a good travel insurance and how to react if something happens.

I’ll also show you some of the apps I use on my trips, both to find accommodation and flights, to find my way around with offline maps, to keep track of expenses, to make yourself understood in foreign-language countries or to share your location in real time. Without a doubt, the best apps to save money on your trips and to have all your needs covered.

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With a touch of mischief, I’ll suggest some plans or “anti-plans” to make the most of your trip. The idea is to have fun experiences and a greater contact with the local culture, unlike organised trips or activities organised by and for tourists.

Finally, let’s talk about the return, that part of the trip that is almost never discussed. However, whenever you leave, you always have to come back. I will give you my tips to face the return with the best energy, to take it as another part of the trip and enjoy it, instead of beating yourself up when you get back to your routine.

What they say about I travel alone

As you can see, “I travel alone” has everything you need to start travelling once and for all. From the internal part before the trip to the organisation of the trip, tips, tricks, applications and advice that will help you during the trip and on your return.

So if you are thinking of starting your first solo trip but need a final push, don’t think twice and treat yourself to Yo viajo sola. It’s a practical and beautiful book. It’s not nice for me to say so, as the author, but it’s one of those books that is a pleasure to hold in your hands because of the quality of its images and its wonderful finish.

And since it’s not right for me to say so, here are some of the things that have been said about the book since its publication and a couple of messages that the first readers are sending me:

“An inspirational book that appeals to the values of courage, independence and freedom in which today’s women recognise themselves, and which is in line with current feminist demands”. Planeta.

“Hello Andrea! My name is Luba and I’m from Malaga. I just finished your book that I got as a present a couple of days ago and, honestly, I find the way you express yourself impressive. I love travelling, although I haven’t been able to do it alone yet (although I’m working on doing it soon), you have given me extra wings to be able to trust myself and get rid of those fears you talk about! So I wanted to thank you for writing such a cool book!” Luba.

“Good morning Andrea, I just got your book two hours ago and I’ve already polished it! Thank you for your inspiring and empowering words. I love that you flee from the victimhood that sometimes comes with being a woman (typical phrase: “something bad is going to happen to me for being a woman and for living in this macho world”). It is true that male violence exists but it is not encouraging or hopeful for any woman to sit idly by and watch life go by out of fear. I’m planning to start a long trip alone in South America in October, I’m a bit scared and excited, and your words give me some more security! It’s all a start, they say… jiji. Anyway, thank you so much <3." Anna.

So, if you’re thinking of starting a solo trip but you’re missing that last push, “I travel alone” is for you. And if you still need more inspiration, check out Lápiz Nómada, my blog, or Instagram(@lapiznomada), where I’m telling you in real time about my new trip #lápiznómadaenasia, which has started in India. I’ll be travelling around Asia for about a year, or at least that’s the idea, but who knows what the trip will bring 🙂 See you on the road!

Best regards,

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About the author

Andrea Bergareche is a creative by profession and a traveller by vocation. In 2012 she went to Mexico for the first time on her own, to do an exchange year for her arts degree, and since then she has been hooked on travelling. In 2015 she embarked on her first long solo trip as a backpacker. A trip that was originally going to last two months but ended up lasting seven, in which she went from Argentina to Colombia alone and hitchhiking, tattooing and painting in the meantime.

Since then she hasn’t stopped travelling. Right now she is in India, starting her adventure #lápiznómadaenasia. In her blog Lápiz Nómada she encourages women to travel alone and to do it with creativity. You can follow her upcoming trips on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.