Solo Travel Tidbits: Transforming Oneself into a Knowing and Self-assured Vagabond
"As a woman, I have no country. As a woman, my country is the whole world."
- Virginia Woolf
Since I began my blog, some of my readers have been inspired by the courage and confidence I acquired traveling alone. A few have even reached out to me to inquire how I was able to accomplish the seemingly daunting task of traveling solo.
The first advice I can bestow upon you is to travel fearlessly but not stupidly. One of the first rules of traveling alone is to do so with common sense and to research your desired destination before even stepping foot onto that plane or that ship.
Should you travel to a foreign land without researching the geopolitical climate of the country? Was there a recent revolution or a coup d'etat that affected the foreign policy of the state? What are the social customs regarding women or more particularly women of color? Is it frowned upon for women to wander alone, unaccompanied by a group of people, a companion or even by the company of a male? What sort of attire is acceptable to avoid stares or harassment?
What of the weather during certain months and seasons? Is it hurricane or typhoon season? Should you expect treacherous mudslides and floods all based on climate?
Was there a recent outbreak of illness and disease affecting public health with warnings issues for women to avoid travel to the city or country i.e. Zika Virus?
All of these scenarios are important to consider even before you book your airfare ticket. It determines when, where and how you will immerse yourself into your solo adventure.
Enroll in S.T.E.P.
The United States Government implemented a program for U. S. Citizens and Permanent Residents to enroll and advise of their oversea travels. The program is called SMART TRAVELER ENROLLMENT PROGRAM (STEP) which allows you to register your trips and to get notifications and messages relevant to the area of travel. Your trip is also enrolled with the nearest U. S. Embassy or Consulate in that country.
Enrolling in STEP is like having insurance, you hope you don't have to use it but you are happy to know you have it. It doesn't hurt to enroll especially since it is free. Not only do you receive important information from the embassy regarding safety conditions but STEP also allows the embassy to contact you in case of an emergency i.e. civil unrest, natural disaster or family emergency.
Safety-Focused Travel Apps
Technology can be a beautiful thing especially now that your mobile smartphone can keep you safe. Several safety and travel apps have been developed to allow solo travelers to keep in touch with friends and family and to notify the local authorities if you feel unsafe. I personally downloaded SafeTrek on my iPhone to be used as a panic button. I am thankful I haven't had a reason to use it but I am grateful that I have it. If ever you are in a situation where it feels dangerous or unsafe, you basically hold down your thumb on the safe button on the phone. If you are out of danger and are safe, you release the button and enter your 4 - digit pin number to cancel the phone call. If you do not feel safe, release the button, do not enter your pin and the local authorities are notified of your location, which is precisely detected thanks to your smartphone. It is a good and amazingly helpful app to have on your phone. As far as I know, this app only works in the United States and not internationally. Here is basically how it works:
Another new travel iOS and Android app perfect for solo travelers is Companion, geared to tracking you as you head to your destination and to informing your "companions" or the authorities of your status. This app is also worth downloading onto your smartphone.
A Personal Safety Security System
Have you ever heard of the panic button, found in a ring? The NIMB Ring is a smart ring disguised as costume jewelry to be worn as a panic button for women. There are a few of these rings on the market now, some of them to track your movements and others that gives off a screeching alarm to ward off aggressors. What I love about NIMB is that it is ingenious, attractive, trendy-looking and delightfully fashionable. This panic button smart ring allows you to discreetly send a distress signal without drawing attention to yourself with a small undetectable button. By holding it down for 3 seconds, your distress alert is sent. There is no fumbling to try to find the button or some tedious twisting of ring tops to activate and deactivate the alarm. I've ordered my ring and it is already on backorder. The cost is $129.00 plus taxes and it is bluetooth, iOS and Android compatible.
