Why Every Female Should Travel Solo At least Once!

By: Drew Moffatt, British Columbia Institute of Technology, winner of the BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship, member of the Writer and Residence Team

Study Abroad Destination: Barcelona, Spain

When studying abroad in Europe, one of the things I was most looking forward to was travelling solo. Being a female solo traveler is nothing new. Many women all over the world do it! There is this whole community of women and it’s honestly amazing to witness. Now that may not be every woman’s dream, but here is why you as a female should at least try it once!

1) You meet people you wouldn’t meet if you were travelling in a group – being solo makes you talk to more people whether it be asking questions or just saying hi. And you’d be quite surprised by how many other solo travelers there are. When I was in Morocco I met so many other solo female travelers, it was quite amazing to see especially in a country like Morocco. Some of them I still talk to today.

2) You get to make your own plans – when travelling by yourself you don’t have to limit yourself to someone else’s plan, budget, or schedule. You get to experience the entire city/country on your own terms. Plus you don’t have to be disappointed because you didn’t get to see/do all the things you wanted.

3) You learn a lot about yourself and your capabilities – when I travelled alone it truly tested how willing and open I was going to be to new experiences. I learned what my limits were and I was okay with that. I also got a huge confidence boost in the end.

Before I would travel alone my friends and family would always tell me “be safe”, “don’t do anything I wouldn’t do”. Now of course in today’s world not every country is as safe as Canada, or has the same respect for women. But in the end, you know what is safe for you and what isn’t. And if I ever felt unsafe there is usually someone else who is just like you not too far away to help. Make friends, make new memories, because trust me they will be some of the best memories you will ever have in your life!