{"id":27755,"date":"2016-10-31T14:18:39","date_gmt":"2016-10-31T14:18:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/?p=27755"},"modified":"2026-09-17T00:21:01","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T00:21:01","slug":"7-snippets-feminist-wisdom-follow-travel-solo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/7-snippets-feminist-wisdom-follow-travel-solo\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Snippets Of Feminist Wisdom To Follow When You Travel Solo"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I decided to travel alone around South America, most people I encountered had an opinion on my decision. \u2018Wasn\u2019t I afraid?\u2019 \u2018Had I considered how dangerous it was?\u2019 \u2018Wouldn\u2019t I be better off going on an organised tour instead?\u2019 I could barely get through a day without someone I half<\/em> knew citing their own fears as reasons why I<\/em> shouldn\u2019t do it.
\nThis annoyed me because (a) of course I knew of the dangers and had considered how to proceed, and (b) because if I was any less head strong, I might have been persuaded to give up my opportunity for a wonderful adventure. It\u2019s important to determine the right advice to take on board, so today, I run through 7 of the best feminist snippets of wisdom to listen to when you decide to travel solo\u2026\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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  1. \u201cYou can\u2019t be that kid at the top of a water slide, overthinking it. You have to go down the chute\u201d \u2013 Tina Fey<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"feminist
    \nGive anything too much thought and you\u2019ll be able to come up with 101 reasons why you\u2019re safer staying at home in front of the TV. But that\u2019s not living now is it? If you want to travel you need to take that leap. I\u2019m not saying don\u2019t think \u2013 of course you need to be awake and aware \u2013 just don\u2019t over think. One of the many joys of travelling is figuring things out as you go along.<\/p>\n

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    1. \u201cI know that, like every woman of the people, I have more strength than I appear to have\u201d \u2013 Evita Peron<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      \"feminist
      \nWe live in a world full of people making assumptions about others, so at some stage, you\u2019re going to be on the receiving end of that. Someone might suggest you don\u2019t have the \u2018balls\u2019 to scale that rock face, or that a solo hike is foolish because you\u2019ll obviously<\/em> get lost. They might assume you\u2019re craving company because you\u2019re alone, or that you don\u2019t know how to slum it, but these are just other people\u2019s opinions. You\u2019ve decided to travel alone \u2013 you\u2019re brave\u00a0 – don\u2019t let how other people perceive you become how you perceive yourself.<\/p>\n

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      1. \u201cEnjoy going through life as yourself\u201d \u2013 Lena Dunham<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        \"feminist
        \nThis is your journey, so choose where you go and what you do based upon your interests alone. Sure, there may be a tried and tested route that it would be easier to follow, but if you have no interest in those places, don\u2019t go just because everyone else is doing it. Forge your own path. You\u2019re alone, which means you can do whatever you like, free of influence, for potentially the first time in your life. Enjoy establishing the things that you like, and why you like them. Gaining this deeper understanding of who you are will be one of the most valuable lessons you take away from your travels.<\/p>\n

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        1. \u201cA woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle\u201d \u2013 Gloria Steinhem<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          \"feminist
          \nSomewhere along the way, as you\u2019re tucking into dinner alone, or hanging out waiting for a bus, someone might ask where your husband is, or why you don\u2019t have a family. It happens, and when it does, laugh it off! You came away to have a solo adventure so don\u2019t waste your precious time feeling envious of couples, or pining after dudes that you met along the way. Yeah, it was fun, but chances are they\u2019re going one way, you\u2019re going another. Your reason for coming on this trip wasn\u2019t to find a man \u2013 it was to see the world, and to have an adventure of your own. I\u2019m not saying romance isn\u2019t an adventure \u2013 just don\u2019t let it dictate your decisions. You\u2019ve got places to go and things to see.<\/p>\n

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          1. \u201cYou\u2019re never gonna stop growing, you\u2019re never gonna stop making mistakes\u201d \u2013 Caitlin Moran<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            \"feminist
            \nTravelling solo is a glorious learning curve that\u2019s going to be peppered with mistakes. Accept that and don\u2019t beat yourself up for choosing an activity that was utterly whack, or for saying yes to a beer with someone so unbelievably dull that your vision went blurry. Be aware enough to understand why you didn\u2019t enjoy it, and don\u2019t do it again. Simple.<\/p>\n

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            1. \u201cYou attract the right things when you have a sense of who you are\u201d \u2013 Amy Poelher<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              \"feminist
              \nWhen you work out what you like, and what you stand for, you have a stronger sense of self. You understand your ambitions, what matters to you, what risks you\u2019ll take, when to speak up. The minute you understand your limits, which you learn travelling, you no longer waste precious moments on people, places or opportunities that aren\u2019t right for you. In turn, this opens you up to meeting people that inspire you, going places you could never have imagined, and pushing yourself in ways you would never have believed.<\/p>\n

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              1. \u201cWhen she stopped conforming to the conventional picture of femininity, she finally began to enjoy being a woman\u201d \u2013 Betty Friedan<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                \"feminist
                \nWhen you\u2019ve been constantly bombarded by messages from the minute you\u2019re born about how you should \u2018be\u2019 as a woman, it\u2019s easy to let these ideals rule your head rather than what you know to be true. Travelling gives you a chance to call bullshit on all pressures placed on women to be a particular way. This is a chance to understand and accept everything that you are, regardless of whether that fits in with societal norms. Don\u2019t let the ideals of what it means to be \u2018feminine\u2019 determine who you are, or how you travel.
                \nAbout the author<\/b>
                \nCatch Amy at amybakerwrites.com<\/a>, or sign up to her newsletter<\/a> to receive updates on the 2017 release of her debut book: a humour memoir about her time travelling solo in South America.
                \nWhat to read next?<\/b><\/p>\n