Globetrotting as a woman: Hell, yes

Lillehammer, Norway ... A solo selfie.

An unusual subject line popped up in my email yesterday: TRAVEL: What you learn traveling while female.

Apart from the clunky grammar not usually seen from National Geographic, the sentiment made me ask myself: ‘What have I learned while traveling as a woman?’

My immediate answer: ‘A hell of a lot.’

Like anyone open to education and adventure, me, a woman, has learned a great deal while traveling by myself or with my family.

Still, when I drill down to where I’ve felt the most intrigued, the most challenged while traveling, I agree that going it alone, at times, has allowed me to see some pretty amazing sights and enjoy interactions I don’t think would have happened otherwise.

(Note: If you read this, Weed … Clearly, I’m not talking about bailing on you. You, dear Weed, are an integral cog in the Weed-King Travel Machine. Just give me a few hours here and there to buy some boots in Italy or haggle with a jeweler in Athens. Oh, also, I might need to borrow your credit card.)

I digress.

In National Geographic’s email yesterday, the publication sought to highlight the important contributions adventurous women have made around the world.

‘Gender may well be a construct, but aspects of gender can profoundly influence our experiences in life. For travelers, our gender expression can open doors — or slam them shut. Some of our greatest explorers overcame obstacles of all sorts — Isabella Bird, Nellie Bly, Freya Stark, and Jane Goodall among them.

‘Travel is about defining our place in the world,’ the email continued as it highlighted features about women who set out to Indonesia, Australia, and Scandinavia.

To learn more, visit: https://email.nationalgeographic.com/H/2/v40000016ecd2affcf935d10f4bbe5c7c0/c2c8f11d-57d2-44dc-a0da-31468fb7b61e/HTML

When I think about the amazing places I’ve visited and the encounters along the way, I remember the times I went off the beaten path to be by myself while The Weed trained for a race or simply slept in.

Some highlights include:

• Taking an afternoon stroll through the streets of Remini, Italy, where I did, indeed, buy a pair of beautiful boots. Although my Italian is quite poor, the woman who helped me purchase the boots, bent over backward to ensure I had the proper fit and all the paperwork necessary to get a tax rebate when we returned home.

• Jumping into a cab to head for the plaza in Gijon, Spain. Again, my poor Spanish had the cab driver perplexed. However, he did all he could to ensure I was dropped off in the most public location along the bustling mall and had the proper currency to spend.

• Going for a run in Edinburgh and getting completely lost. This was an adventure, for sure. Getting turned around and not knowing much about a city’s landmarks was a lesson this traveler will never forget. Coincidentally, getting lost doesn’t always happen to solo travelers. The Weed and I got completely flummoxed during a hike in Lillehammer, Norway. I’m not pointing fingers but he had the map and I was very freaked out. (More about traveler safety to come.)

• Waking early one morning in Paris for a run in a park near our hotel. As I set out on my run, a farmer’s market was starting to come to life. So, I stopped and took photos because, well, photos are more fun than running. As I made some pictures, a fisherman was laying out a host of still wriggling shrimp and oysters. He was so generous, letting me taste some of his freshest catch and talking about his family’s history with the farmer’s market.

• Walking into an upscale woman’s boutique in Nancy, France, and purchasing a silk scarf for a friend. While the scarf I picked was beautiful, it was quite wrinkled. So, one of the women working in the boutique grabbed a different scarf, ironed it heavily, and packaged it in a beautiful box that traveled well and ensured the scarf reached my friend mostly unwrinkled. Again, with my limited French, this woman worked so hard to understand me and, eventually, took matters into her hands. All French women know the value of wrinkle-free fashion.

• While traveling for work in Washington, D.C., a man followed me out of the hotel elevator and down the hallway to nearly the end, where my room was located. This was unsettling but, again, a learning experience.

• Sitting down at a bustling beer hall table in Munich during Oktoberfest. Although, I arrived at the celebration with my family, as the day wore on some left while others excused themselves to visit the nearby toilets. While alone, two devious German women dared me — a bit inebriated at this point — to eat a white sausage. Thinking nothing of it, I gobbled down the sausage as they filmed me on their phones. To this day, I have no idea about the ingredients of the sausage or whether I’m now featured on some German food porn website.

I’m feeling boastful at this point because I have been very blessed with travel and adventures in my life. That said, I have also been extremely lucky. I have had a few scary incidents — Hello, Seattle! — but I have emerged safe and healthy.

In keeping with National Geographic’s quest to encourage women, people, really, to travel and define their place in the world, highlighting some basic travel safety precautions seems pretty important. Also, because I know a handful of women who have set out on their own, backpacking through Europe or scaling peaks in South America, I’d like to think these precautions will be useful.

A March 2019 New York Times story highlights travel tips offered by women who have ventured out on their own, including these nuggets.

• Use some valuable apps — Free apps like Chirpey, RedZone, MayDay Safety, Tripwhistle, and Noonlight let people flag incidents, highlight areas of danger, and offer information for contacting local law enforcement.

• Pack a doorstop — Bring a basic rubber doorstop to use as a wedge beneath the inside of a hotel/lodging door to make it impossible to push the door open from the other side. (Note: Door stop purchase to be made for the Weed-King Travel Machine.)

• Learn to defend yourself — Many women say they practice self-defense tactics like martial arts. Others simply offer: Trust your gut. Trust your instincts. Carry pepper spray, a pocketknife, a phone, or anything that can be used as a weapon or to summon help.

• Split your cash — Some women carry two phones in case one is stolen. Others suggested dividing belongings and cash between bags in case of a robbery. Somewhat related, when The Weed and I travel, we always have photo copies of our passports, again, in case the hard copies are stolen.

• Maintain your bearings — Some of the busiest interactions with others come when stepping off buses, trains, or out of airports. So, know where you need to go next. If you don’t know, walk a short distance and observe your surroundings. Get your bearings before setting off any farther. When I was lost during a run in Edinburgh, this helped me immensely. I stopped, located Holyroodhouse, the Queen’s estate, in the distance and began to make my way there. Also, having my iPhone with a detailed map in my sweatshirt, basically, saved me. Fortunately, the iPhone also came into play when The Weed and I were lost in that Norwegian forest.

• Try to blend in — Dressing according to local customs, including wearing modest clothing, can help a solo traveler woman not stand out.

• Tip well at hotels, restaurants (if applicable) — This is something I try to do during all travel. Many times, the most interactions people have while traveling are with those helping at the hotels or serving their food. During our recent stay in Seattle, The Weed and I were friendly with the hotel/restaurant staff and I really believe this is why they were so accommodating to us during our nontraditional holiday. Note: It is frowned upon to tip in some countries. I learned this the hard way in Scotland.

• If you feel you are in danger, act erratic — Don’t be afraid to publicly shame someone following you. Yell. Turn to another person near you and ask for help. While in Washington, D.C., when a man followed me off an elevator and down a hotel hallway, I stopped at the nearest room and knocked on the door. Fortunately, someone answered the door and the man following me immediately turned around and walked away. It was a strange conversation with the person who answered my knocking but security was alerted and I felt better knowing my surroundings were safer.

I have highlighted just a few of the suggestions offered by travelers in the New York Times story. For the full list and anecdotes from solo female travelers, visit https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/26/travel/safety-tips-female-solo-travel.html.

With these tips and a little luck, I hope you, a solo traveler, or your family, enjoy many adventures especially as a new decade dawns.

I’m already looking forward to a possible solo trip in January. The Weed will be at a conference in Orlando and, well, I’m ready for a new adventure.

As always, thanks for reading!

Seattle: The Gum Wall ... A <gross> solo selfie.

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