Why Women are Drawn to Solo Travel
We make up an estimated—and astonishing—84 percent of all solo travelers
Did you know that the majority of people traveling abroad alone these days—married and single—are women, and the demand for women-led tour groups is rising?
Check out this short video in which Stephanie Sy takes a closer look at the reasons why women are drawn to solo travel and how the hospitality industry is taking notice. (link here)
This piece is fascinating to me for lots of reasons.
First is the perspective of Patricia Patton, who was a flight attendant traveling solo in the 70s! Can you imagine? What a badass. She’s now in her 70s and still enjoys travel.
Second is the interview snippet with Molly Furey, a woman who says she returned from solo travel without a major transformation. (Read her article in Vogue mentioned here)
Molly talks of mishaps with currency exchange miscalculations and anxiety-fueled grocery shopping and cross-country drives. Most embarrassing of all, she says, is that she did not have one epiphany to show for it all.
When I heard her say this, I wondered, why didn’t she experience transformation? So I dug up and read her article, and I have a few ideas and suspicions to share.
Intentionality
At first glance, I could hone in on the fact that Molly admits going into her trip without much forethought. I know from my own experience and that of my clients that doing some inner work and self-discovery ahead of time can aid in transformation. I call it setting the table for transformation. This sort of intentionality can help you uncover the kind of trip your soul needs at this moment in time, and I believe it often makes all the difference.
If you just haphazardly jump into solo travel, can you experience transformation? I think the answer is yes. Or you might not. It’s a bit of a crap shoot. But thinking intentionally about your trip ahead of time helps you set the stage by choosing a location and activities that are most conducive to your transformation.
Perspective
I also wonder if Molly is defining transformation as something only derived from mountain-top moments and epiphanies, when in reality transformation most often happens in the simplest of moments and in the midst of abject failure.
This can look like a personal “a-ha” while facing a mundane task like waiting for a meal or a bus. Or it can come by taking a single step toward one very real fear, like sitting alone in a cafe for the very first time. It can also be found in handling an unfamiliar situation that feels terrifying, like realizing you just hopped onto the exact wrong bus.
I believe transformation happens when we make the time to look at ourselves, face-to-face, believe that we can manage whatever is in front of us, and step into it, come what may. Helping women develop this perspective, reflect on what they’ve accomplished and recognize their own triumphs and “a-ha” moments, is one of the things I love most about travel coaching.
Post-trip reflection
What Molly talks about as failure—broken down buses, loneliness and anxiety—is actually, IMHO, her stepping into fear and facing the unknown, which actually IS transformational if we notice it, reflect on it and are able to make meaning from the experience. Her story makes me wonder if she had someone to reflect on her trip with who could help her see the magic in some of what she saw as mundane activities and failures.
I’m going to guess this trip empowered her and forced her to step into some of her fears. For this reason, I’d have a hard time believing those things were not transformational.
So I disagree with Molly that she failed.
And I suspect that maybe what she’s missing is someone to help her unpack what she actually did learn about herself.
So maybe transformational travel all a matter of perspective.
It’s having someone help you to reflect on the ways an experience might have changed you.
It might not have been an a-ha on a mountaintop. Most of us rarely experience those. But getting lost in a foreign country, realizing it and then getting yourself out of it—and home safely—you’d have a hard time convincing me that’s not a transformative experience.
Where’s your next travel stop?
As the traditional travel season ramps up, I’d love to know where you’re traveling this summer. Do tell…
And what’s on your bucket list for the future?
Would you like to wake up to this view in September?
GREAT NEWS!
I have ONE spot left in my Montenegro retreat.
If you’re wishing you’d made international travel plans this year, but feel like it might be too late … this is your chance.
This exclusive retreat takes place Sept 21-28, and the cost is $3,997.
The final available spot is your very own apartment inside a 200-year-old seaside villa.
This means you get your own bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette and living space …
And the best part?
You get to wake up to THIS AMAZING VIEW!
Your morning also might include…
Taking a dip in the pool or a morning swim in the sea via our own private seaside patio.
Walking just a couple minutes next door to order a freshly squeezed juice or espresso and sip it on a table that juts out into the sea.
Enjoying a freshly baked pastry on our massive private veranda with a 360 view of both mountains and sea.
Join 7 other amazing women who have signed up to go on this journey.
Q: Will I fit in?
As long as you’re up for some internal self-discovery and a bit of adventure, this will be an incredible, one-time experience for you.
There are 7 ladies attending, so the group will be small and you’ll get lots of face-to-face time with Dawn and time to get to know each other in a deeper way than you would with a bigger group.
Q: What ages are the women? Is everyone single / married / divorced?
The women attending range in ages from 40 to 80 yrs old … so we all get to benefit from the life experience and wisdom of multiple generations in one home. I can-not wait for this!
We’re also a mix of single, divorced and married women … the string that connects us all is that we’re in a phase of life in which we’re asking “What’s next?” … and we want to make the most of it!
Q: I’m interested / curious. What do I do next?
First, you can check out the retreat website, which includes more photos and information.
You can also follow these links to sign up or request an informational call.