Key Takeaways
- Kristin Addis from Be My Travel Muse writes our regular column on solo female travel. It’s an important topic I can’t adequately cover, so I brought i
- Life is short — we have limited time to do the things that we really want to do. It’s also a voyage — or a sack of coins that are yours alone to spend
- For a lot of people, that means not waiting until retirement to travel but rather getting out there and exploring now.
Updated: 8/6/20 | August 6th, 2020
Kristin Addis from Be My Travel Muse writes our regular column on solo female travel. It’s an important topic we can’t adequately cover alone, so we brought in an expert to share her advice for other women travelers — addressing issues that are vital and specific to their experiences. This week, Kristin explores why reasons not to travel will always exist — and why waiting for the ‘right time’ is a trap.
Life is short — we have limited time to do the things that truly matter to us. It’s also a journey — or a finite reserve of moments you alone get to spend. (Those are my metaphors for life, anyway.) And it’s meant to be lived fully.
For many, that means choosing adventure now — not postponing travel until retirement.
If you’re eager to travel but hesitant to go solo, excuses will surface everywhere — if you let them. You’ll tell yourself you’re not ready; your job, friends, or fears are holding you back; your responsibilities are too great.
But those justifications mean you’ll never leave.
At every stage of life, new reasons will appear why ‘now’ isn’t ideal — especially as a woman.
The truth? The perfect time to travel likely won’t arrive. What matters is making intentional use of the time you have — and stepping forward anyway.
To help build that courage, here are 6 common questions solo female travelers hear — and thoughtful, grounded responses to support your decision to explore the world on your own terms.
1. Aren’t you going to settle down?
A frequent question from friends and family is when I’ll “settle down.” Don’t I want a relationship or a family? My reply: Why must travel and building a meaningful personal life be mutually exclusive in today’s world?
Families travel constantly — some even full-time. It’s entirely possible to design a life that includes both.
Of course, choices come with trade-offs. I’ve walked away from paths — like staying with a partner in France — because my compass pointed elsewhere. I’ll never know what that alternate life held, but I do know this: sitting on a beach in Tanzania, writing this for you, ranks among the most joyful moments I’ve ever known.
I experience these moments regularly — because exploration fuels me.
I once believed love required sacrificing my wanderlust. But something inside always whispered, “Go” — and I listened. Every time.
It was painful — but necessary. Because the person who truly belongs beside me won’t ask me to stop. They’ll simply say, “May I join you?”
2. Shouldn’t women stay home and follow social norms?
Women face layered expectations: be intelligent yet agreeable, strong yet unthreatening, ambitious yet compliant. We’re encouraged to pursue opportunity — but only within boundaries drawn by tradition.
Yet history celebrates the women who defied those limits.
Think of Harriet Tubman, Joan of Arc, Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart — figures revered globally not for conformity, but for courage, vision, and the willingness to challenge unjust systems.
Travel won’t make you a global icon — but it might just make you a hero to yourself.
3. Won’t you stand out as a target for criminals abroad?
Right before my first solo trip, a news story surfaced about two travelers who fell ill in Vietnam after consuming tainted alcohol.
Friends shared it widely — urging caution — while overlooking that a mass shooting had just occurred in Colorado, far closer to home.
I traveled anyway. In over eight years of solo journeys, I’ve remained safe. Yes, scams exist — but the world is rarely as dangerous as headlines suggest.
Safety isn’t mysterious. Apply the same awareness you use daily at home, follow trusted guidelines for solo female travelers, and begin with destinations known for accessibility and hospitality.
Start small, gain confidence, and expand your horizons gradually.
