There have been a lot of movies, videos and blogs about how freeing and glorifying traveling alone is for a girl. Eat, Pray, Love is one of those movies that have raised the bar high for the whole phenomenon, and while we dare not belittle the act of traveling solo especially for a girl, we’re here to discuss the things they don’t tell you behind all the rounds of applause and pats on the back a girl gets for “taking the leap of faith”.
1. You catch yourself feeling terrified more often than not
So you’ve made fun of your friends for calling you crazy. For referring to ‘Taken’ the movie and claiming that you will be abducted or even worse raped. But there you are, walking the streets alone at midnight and there is this guy walking behind you. And, all of a sudden, you’re thinking of all the things your friends told you. All the things that could go wrong, and you’re scared. Scared that you were wrong.
2. You will get lonely
It doesn’t matter how strong and independent you are, you are going to get lonely even if it’s just for a single hour when you’re desperate and lost and you can’t find your way. Human beings are social creatures. When things get rough or when we’re lost or facing even the most trivial problems, we think that it would have all been better if we had one more person to share the misery with.
3. People will try to take advantage of you
It’s a given. You’re a girl and you’re alone. You are strong, independent and truly beautiful, so you will get hit on. Guys will try to approach you. They’ll think falsely that you don’t go by any rules. That you’re chill enough to be up for anything. And if that doesn’t happen, then they’ll try to rip you off, maybe sell you something for twice its price.
4. You will be judged
In a country like Egypt, traveling alone is a pretty big deal especially for a girl. So don’t be surprised when you hear a few rumours about how you traveled alone, drank all the time and spent all your nights chilling with random strangers in pubs and bars. To many guys, you will be intimidating, because you’ve been out there. You did things that they have never done and will never do, so it will be easier for them to diss you than to acknowledge how truly unique and independent you are.
5. You will have to sacrifice some of your habits and values
But not in a bad way. It’s just that the things that you once thought you would never do, you will now do them, even if it’s as lame as sleeping in the same room with a lizard or as big as having a conversation with an Israeli and realising that despite your desperate attempt to do so, you don’t really hate them.
6. You will change
This is the obvious one of course. You’ll travel alone. You’ll feel scared. You’ll get lonely. People will judge you, but all that won’t matter because after taking this “leap of faith” all you once knew will be history. You will start seeing things differently. The lonesome will teach you that maybe you don’t need people as much as you thought. The frightening strolls at night will open your eyes to how people are really and truly good at heart all around the globe. The judgments will teach you that not everyone will understand the path that you chose to take and that IT’S OK for them not to. Those who took advantage of you will teach you that even though people are genuinely good, some will disappoint you anyway. You will realize that everything that once scared you, that once stopped you is complete and utter bullsh*t. The world is different than what you were led to believe. You are different and better than the shallow of a person you once thought you were.
