5 inspiring stories from women who travel solo
I traveled solo internationally for the first time when I was 25 years old.
Like most second-language learners, studying or traveling abroad was inevitable but something most students did when they were younger than I was at the time. As a graduate student studying Spanish, I was excited to travel alone to Costa Rica to teach English and have what I thought would be this transformative, life-changing experience — which it was, but not how I’d imagined.
With my first step into the airport, I was almost immediately terrified and regretted my decision to go so far all by myself. San Jose wasn’t the cosmopolitan city I’d made it out to be in my head. I didn’t feel safe the first few days that I was there, and my accommodations weren’t what I expected. Looking back, I can’t believe how naive I was.
But, I spent two weeks getting lost in San Jose, surprising myself at how comfortably I communicated solely in Spanish. I even took a bus to the coastal town of Manuel Antonio on my free weekend. Everything about my trip was harder than I expected, and I wanted to give up and come home every other day. Regardless, the trip emboldened me to be brave in a way that I’d never had to be before and I was changed forever.
I wanted to share the stories of other brave women of varying backgrounds whose lives had been transformed through travel. So I asked the women of the TPG Women Facebook group to share their stories for this article. Through solo travel, these women found community, paths to their future and most importantly — though undoubtedly a tad cliche — themselves.
Here are just some of their stories.
Lisa Tsering, editor
Lisa Tsering’s story begins in 1992 when she traveled to Northern India on an award ticket on Pan Am. She had just enough miles for one free ticket and India was the farthest she could go.
Though this trip to India wasn’t Lisa’s first solo trip, she admits that traveling solo to India was a challenge. She told herself to trust everyone — something she admits was a strange idea — which ended up making her experience that much more special.
Lisa felt so at home in India during that first trip that she ended up traveling there 10 more times and working as a journalist for the Times of India for 17 years. She was the first non-Indian to cover Bollywood for Indian readers and even became a Bollywood movie reviewer for the Hollywood Reporter.
Lisa's story of how her decision to be open and trusting of strangers encourages us to be more open to others when we visit new places.
Related: How to travel solo — and why you absolutely should
Miriam Magnuson, nonprofit fundraising
Miriam Magnuson's first time traveling solo was for a friend’s wedding in Vienna. Her significant other was unable to attend but she decided to spend a few days in Prague by herself.
Miriam remembers that she didn’t have anything in particular to do — she wandered the streets, saw the sights and ate delicious food.
She tells the story of how one day she was sitting on a park bench near the castle, people-watching and enjoying the day when she thought to herself that she should probably get going soon — but she actually didn’t have anywhere to be. In fact, she was free to do whatever she wanted and so she spent four more hours that afternoon enjoying the park.
Miriam writes, “I didn’t set out with some kind of goal of ‘becoming the kind of woman who travels solo if she wants to because she can,’ it was just something I did that on reflection showed me I was (already) that kind of woman.” For Miriam, traveling solo didn’t change her so much as reveal who she already was.
Related: Why you should visit Prague as a solo traveler
Julie Olum, travel writer and digital content creator
Julie Olum was born and raised in Kenya and has been traveling full-time for the last six years. Her story began as an undergrad at university in South Africa, where she studied to be an architect before embarking on a month-long trip around Europe in her last year.
At the start of the pandemic, Julie was visiting Uganda on the first stop of a longer trip through Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia. When Uganda closed its borders at the end of March 2020, she decided to stay and wait it out, living and working in a hostel for seven months. But this seems right in line with the type of traveler Julie is — she makes the most of every moment.
Traveling as much as she has is what changed her trajectory from professional architect to travel writer — following a passion that was awakened as she explored different places around the world. Despite only ever traveling alone, Julie balances traveling solo with building community and says that she values collectivism and community in addition to individualism.
Related: 4 reasons why you should visit Cape Town, South Africa
Alexa Cayce, engineer
Alexa Cayce studied abroad in Norway while studying engineering in college in Texas.
She describes herself as a typical introverted engineer in college but quickly realized once she was settled into her new school — and living alone for the first time — that she was going to have to make friends or her experience wouldn’t be much fun.
Alexa was able to step out of her comfort zone for the first time by making friends with who she would eventually travel to Oslo, London and Copenhagen with. Everything about her study-abroad experience was new to her, she said, even taking public transportation for the first time. At the end of her study-abroad experience in Norway, she traveled solo to Stockholm before returning home.
Alexa’s trip transformed her into a more confident person, something her dad says he could see the minute he picked her up from the airport when she got home from Norway. She adapted to her environment in a way that she hadn’t had to before. Alexa said that she "grew up" during her time traveling solo to Norway.
Related: Why you might want to visit Sweden instead of Norway
Maria Neve
Maria Neve was dreading the first anniversary of her husband’s death when she decided she needed a break. She booked a last-minute trip to Paris, where she stayed with family and spent most of her time exploring the city.
As she was sitting at the base of the Eiffel Tower, she came to the realization that she needed a fresh start and a second chance — Maria was feeling trapped by her memories and unable to make decisions.
Maria says that her solo time in Paris freed her mind to make a transition she didn’t know she needed and that that trip set the stage for her life today. After returning from that trip, she moved to a new state, started a new job and began to feel alive again.
In a way, Maria saved herself by taking that trip to Paris.
Related: 11 things I learned during my trip to Paris
Recurring themes
As I read through all of the stories that women were sharing in the TPG Women Facebook group, I was inspired to know that so many women find solace and safety in solo travel. One woman told the story of learning Arabic after 9/11 and even though she is now married with children, she's only ever traveled solo in the Middle East and has felt safer there than in some American cities.
Hillary LaReau, a traveling nurse, writes about a time she was dining alone in a fancy restaurant in London. "I used to think I had to wait for a partner to do amazing things," she writes. "But I finally realized that doing them alone was the most amazing part."
Feature photo by GaudiLab/Shutterstock.com
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.