Reflections on Flying Solo

Currently I am in Vietnam and traveling the country by myself. While it may not be my first time travelling it is my first time traveling ALONE. Before I left I was nervous, afraid of what would happen, scared I would become lost among the masses. However, as of today I have been a solo traveler for exactly one week and I am hooked.

Traveling by oneself enables one to truly experiance the here and now. I make everything happen, nothing is planned with out my careful consideration, I never am just following someones else's lead. Everything that I have done and experianced is out of my own decisions and power and let me tell you it is intoxicating! I cannot think of a better way for a young woman to experiance the world around her other than to throw herself into in it with no other protection than herself.

While traveling I have met many other lone females. We tend to find each other and provide temporary companionship for a meal or sight seeing trip or two. Yet so far I have met no other lone American female travelers (or really many other Americans at all) and it really makes me ponder why. Why is it that American society does not support finding oneself through travel, through exploration of the world and culture around us? I think that the strengths that one finds with in themselves while traveling and while observing and living within another culture benifet all aspects of life; the lessons I have learned during this past year have helped to form my very vision of the future and the way in which I want to spend my life. What could possibly be more valuable than that?

To all my female readers, please, pick somewhere you have always wanted to visit. Somewhere you dream of going yet always put off because you've no one to go with you. Go. Pack a backpack and just go. I promise that the pay off will be far greater than any of the fears.