As you may have probably noticed from my blog, I'm trying to infuse my girly touch on my blog. And I'd love to cover stories from other women just so I could show you that everyone has their own battle. Not just that, but also to show you their fighting spirits.
Honestly, now that I think about it… If you want to fight effectively, instead of telling yourself to man up, you should tell yourself to fight like a girl.
So, in celebrating the women's day today, I decided to connect with some other fellow women travelers to get to know them. To find out what's the story behind their journey. And I'm super excited to share this to you all, in the hope their stories could inspire you the way they do me.
Now that you heard me when I said that if you need to fight well, you need to fight like a girl. The only problem is that despite our abilities to solve the problems effectively (and most of the time, efficiently), sometimes it's the society itself that don't let us see our capabilities.
In terms of traveling, there are some extra precautions that we women need, compared to men. From something simple like tampons or menstrual cup, to some propaganda about how some places are dangerous for women travelers.
As if it's not enough, we also have to face some occasional catcall, and if I had a dollar every time I get frowned upon when they found out that I travel solo as a woman…
Well, you see my point… Being a woman traveler has not always been easy. It has its own challenge, and it's only the general stuff as we speak. Wait a minute, we have more.
10 Women Travelers and Stories Behind Their Journey
And like I said, everyone has their own battle. Just like the 10 women travelers that I connected to for this collab post, those who wouldn't mind sharing with you the stories behind their journey and how they overcome the challenges they face during their travel.
Some stories that you could probably relate before you start your own journey. Maybe you're someone who's keen to travel but holding a weak passport. Or maybe you're thinking about starting your adventure to cope with the loss of your beloved one(s).
The stories of these women might inspire you to start your own journey, so sit still and read on.
1. The Woman Traveler with Her Emotional Baggage: Jane Clements of Scarlet Jones Travels
Jane Clements of Scarlet Jones Travels.
Following a nasty divorce, Jane has been nomadic for 6 years in total. Despite her kids choosing to alienate her totally from their lives, she is content and now work to support other survivors of domestic abuse. Travel saved her by rebuilding her self-belief.
The Story Behind Her Journey
One of the reasons that I started traveling six years ago was to rebuild my self-belief. Confidence was the biggest obstacle that I faced on my journey and partly in an attempt to prove to myself that I was capable of standing on my own two feet I launched myself outside of my comfort zone.
I needed to disprove all of the negative things that I had been drip-fed over the years and which had replaced themselves as my truths. Sitting at Heathrow airport I was in bits. In fact, I was terrified and all my old fears were threatening to take over.
The Obstacle of Traveling for Her and How She Overcomes It
Just a few years earlier, I had been a wife, a mum and a homeowner. I had also spent 25 years in an emotionally abusive marriage. What on earth was I thinking?! I had just turned 50 and I was planning to backpack and stay in hostels.
I took a large gulp of wine and a deep breath and I put into practice all of the positive self-talk that I had been working on over the previous 3 years leading up to this day. This was my final personal challenge and I was terrified.
My meditation and relaxation techniques eventually relaxed me and I settled down for the flight, curious to see what welcome I would receive at my hostel. Would people ignore me?
I needn’t have worried! Travelers are generally an open-minded and inclusive lot and 24 hours later, I was eating dinner with some new friends from the hostel.
Solo travel taught me how to believe in myself again – so much so that six years later I am still on the road, working from my laptop and encouraging others to take the leap.
2. The Woman Traveler with Her Backpain: Kavita Favelle of Kavey Eats
Kavita of Kavey Eats.
Kavita is a 47-year old woman traveler who enjoys her childfree marriage while traveling the world with her husband. Her main challenges while traveling in her 40s are health-related, but it never stops her from exploring places as much as she can.
The Story Behind Her Journey
I've always traveled from when I was very young, so I've grown up with an innate love of exploring the world. My parents are great travelers too, and I cherish memories of family trips to the Acropolis, Machu Picchu, Paris, New York and more.
As a young adult, I took a few solo trips but since meeting my husband at university 26 years ago, most of our travel has been together – no kids, so it's all couples travel.
Fortunately, we're hugely compatible in our interests and travel styles. We've had some incredible trips including safaris to Botswana, Namibia, Kenya, and Tanzania; wildlife cruises in the Antarctic, Galapagos Islands and Falkland Islands; city breaks in Paris, Hong Kong, Tallinn, and Ghent, and wonderful itineraries around Thailand, Eastern Canada, France and Japan.
The Obstacle of Traveling for Her and How She Overcomes It
As we've become older, I've struggled with health issues including hip, back and shoulder pain, tension headaches and crippling migraines.
It's taken time to adjust the way we travel to accommodate these – earlier trips resulted in lost days or being forced to travel when unwell, but now I plan our travel accordingly.
My main coping strategies are:
Being realistic about how much I can cover in a day. We were never fast travelers, but we've embraced slow travel even more.
Reducing what I carry with me when out and about to one small bum bag (fanny pack) to reduce the strain on my shoulders and neck, mitigating against headaches.
Packing key medications so we can deal with issues without having to search for a local pharmacy.
Building extra days into the itinerary so that if a day is lost to illness, we still have plenty of time to see what we want to in a given place.
Taking it easy in between exploring, whether it's sitting in a cafe reading, indulging in a massage to loosen the knots, or sleeping in late on the occasional morning.
Having a travel partner who is laidback about downtime, solicitous in caring for me when illness strikes, and carries more than his fair share of the luggage is also a huge help!
3. The Woman Traveler with Her Dog: Gemma Johnstone of A Girl & Her Dog On The Road
Gemma Johnstone of A Girl & Her Dog On The Road.
Gemma is a 40-something divorcee who's currently traveling Europe with her dog. For her, traveling with her dog means that she has to make compromises, but what she gets back from having her dog as her travel buddy on her side more than makes up for it.
The Story Behind Her Journey
A few years ago, I was in a content little bubble; I had been happily married for 15 years, had been running my own established vocational business and life was good.
My bubble burst when my marriage broke down. It was a real shock for me and left me reeling. I perhaps foolhardily chose to let my husband hold onto the business I had spent ten years building up, and so I was partnerless, jobless, a bit aimless and, if I am honest, spiraling into depression.
After a year or so, struggling to find my groove personally and professionally, I decided I needed to make a major change and this was how my traveling adventures started.
Initially, I took a 3-month road trip from Scotland to Southern Spain. I am not going to lie, I found it a challenge traveling on my own at first. I had been used to always having company and someone to share the experience with, and I struggled with homesickness.
I had my dog as a travel buddy though, and gradually I learned to appreciate, and then even relish traveling solo. It promotes independence and confidence and you don't have to make the compromises that you do when traveling with someone else.
The Obstacle of Traveling for Her and How She Overcomes It
I have learnt what works best for me. I prefer slow travel, as it allows me to get to know the place I am staying much better and it is less frantic and tiring than moving constantly from place to place.
I am also a fan of the more peaceful places where I can hike with my dog, ski and enjoy other outdoor pursuits.
I now solo travel full time, and I am currently enjoying mountain life in Courmayeur in the Italian Alps, and life is full of possibilities again.
4. The Woman Traveler with Her Understanding Husband: Suman Doogar of Nomadic Shoes
Suman of Nomadic Shoes.
Suman is a woman in her 30s who has a full-time job as a teacher in a high school. She manages to occasionally sneak out with her new pair of shoes to travel in her spare time. While rocking her role as a wife to his loving husband, she often chooses solo travel as her way to go for a short period, in order to see the world from a new perspective on her own.
The Story Behind Her Journey
I have been traveling on my own since 2011, when I had to go to Ladakh solo.
It was sheer coincidence that I discovered my love for traveling on a trip where my friends stood me up. A mindblowing experience, I started seeing the world and more importantly, myself, in a different light after that!
Since then, I have been hooked to travel as it gives an opportunity to learn about myself every time I travel.
Also, I teach psychology to students who are more aware of the subject, every passing year. While they read and learn the concepts, they need someone to map and understand those concepts with real-life application.
My travel experiences are a boon to both teach and sometimes even learn, with those young and brilliant minds. It keeps the class engaged and not snore! 🙂
The Obstacle of Traveling for Her and How She Overcomes It
As a female traveler, my biggest obstacle in traveling is always about safety. Food is the second issue, you just cannot plan enough!
In my recent trip to North East India, I survived on packed food & water!
Thanks to a huge circle of like-minded travelers and friends, I get help in planning and finding safe solutions for travel and stay. I also use technology, like sharing my location with my partner, offline maps, meticulously recording & sharing my travel plans (like taxis I hire).
I improvize my food while traveling. I carry masalas, ketchup, dry snacks etc with me to make any kind of edible food.
5. The Woman Traveler with Her Type 1 Diabetes: Cazzy Magennis of Dream Big, Travel Far
Cazzy Magennis of Dream Big, Travel Far.
Cazzy is a digital nomad who travels as a couple with her partner, Bradley. Claimed as a budget backpacker, she travels with type 1 diabetes. Therefore, a couple of years ago she started her blog to help other type 1 diabetics who aim to see the world with the condition just like her.
The Story Behind Her Journey
I'm a world traveler with a difference: I have type 1 diabetes. A chronic illness caused by my body deciding to attack my pancreas for no apparent reason. This results in me needing to test my blood sugar frequently, give insulin via my insulin pump, count carbs and much more every single day.
I travel because firstly, it's something I've wanted to do since I was a little girl. And secondly, because all the doctors told me I couldn't!
The Obstacle of Traveling for Her and How She Overcomes It
My biggest obstacle when it comes to traveling is trying to deal with all the elements that affect my blood sugar. The biggest misconception is that sugar is my enemy, but actually this is wrong. New foreign foods, new climates, new time zones, high altitudes, and everything in between is the real challenge.
Before I started traveling, I couldn't find someone like me who was doing it full time. So I decided to change that and create a travel blog that would help provide fellow type 1 diabetics and those with chronic illnesses with the tools to travel the world, and hopefully offer a little motivation and inspiration too!
I travel with my partner, which helps ease the burden of type 1 diabetes as he can help carry half of my supplies. Which there is a lot of! He also helps when I'm feeling tired or sick, and help in an emergency.
I've been traveling with type 1 diabetes for almost 3 years now, and it's had its challenges. But rewards outweigh any of these and make it worth it. I'm the living proof that with determination, patience, and motivation, you can do absolutely anything…
I hope to be the first type 1 diabetic to travel to every country in the world. Challenge accepted!
6. The Woman Traveler with Her Weak Passport: Lavdi Zymberi of Kosovo Girl Travels
Lavdi of Kosovo Girl Travels.
Lavdi is a woman originally from Kosovo, a partially-recognized state in Southeastern Europe that was once a part of Serbia/Yugoslavia. Despite visa issues and the non-recognition of Kosovo in some countries, she has managed to visit 34 countries. She's currently living in South Sudan as the International UN Volunteer.
The Story Behind Her Journey
I believe I always loved traveling, ever since I was a kid. Initially, I traveled through books – I loved and still love reading.
Later on, when I was 6 years old, I had my first travel outside my country. I experienced new things, saw another way of living, another city different from my hometown. This was a bus trip to Belgrade, Serbia much of which I spent on my mother's lap so we wouldn't have to pay an extra ticket for me.
Many years later, following Kosovo's liberation in 1999, I traveled for the first time to Albania – a place I was in love with even without ever stepping there – the motherland of Albanians. Then, I visited France on some spring festival for high school students. My horizon started expanding, my point of view started acknowledging the diversity of the world and how beautiful it is to have the chance to absorb more of it.
The Obstacle of Traveling for Her and How She Overcomes It
As of 2009, I started having more trips abroad, mainly work visits, which allowed me to experience more and bring the surface of the travel bug I had instilled in me during my childhood through reading.
Living in the US from 2014 to 2016 gave me another chance to go somewhere else almost every month. I moved to South Sudan in November 2018, and now I'm trying to use every opportunity I get to explore more of Africa.
This travel bug keeps whispering to my ears countries I should visit, experiences that I should feel. But it's not always that easy.
Being a Kosovo citizen means that I need a visa for the majority of the countries. I can only travel to about 45 countries on visa fee/visa on arrival mode.
Being a woman also means that I need to “fight” the society as they consider women to better settle down, marry and have kids – oh and of course have a job so they can also bring money home. Nevertheless, when the desire is strong, these obstacles can be overcome. At the end of the day, people will always have something to say regardless of what stand you take.
Read more of her stories on Kosovo Girl Travels.
7. The Woman Traveler with Her Mourning Battle: Jessica Carpenter of My Feet Will Lead Me
Jessica of My Feet Will Lead Me.
Jessica was widowed when she was 27. She initially started her blog to share her stories as the coping mechanism for her to reflect and chronicle their battle, followed by her 6 months of her travel after she lost her husband. She has eventually transformed her blog into a travel blog until now.
The Story Behind Her Journey
At the age of 27, I lost my husband of 6 years to melanoma. Following his short 6 month battle with cancer, I decided to take another 6 months off from work to heal and decide what direction I wanted my life to go. The most natural course for me was finding solace through travel.
Despite being the loneliest months of my life, when sometimes the weight of the pain was crushing, I found the planning and anticipation of a new destination was a welcome distraction from the grief that enveloped me.
From scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef and helicopter rides in Australia, New Year's Eve in NYC, horseback riding on the beaches of St. Lucia for my birthday, touring with a band along the east coast, to almost a month in Tanzania with a close friend, those 6 months showed me how much I needed to see the world to feel alive and to heal.
Meeting people around the globe taught me how much we all have in common and inspired me to have hope.
The Obstacle of Traveling for Her and How She Overcomes It
Even though I'd been passionate about travel my entire life, those 6 months reminded me of the independent, adventure-seeking side to myself I'd cultivated as a child. A renewed sense of childlike wonder for the world sprung forth, and I knew I could never quite go back to the same life I'd had before.
I made a commitment to not let life pass me by, and vowed to work less and experience more. I've returned back to work as a pharmacist part-time but continue to travel regularly, merging my passions for travel and writing into my travel blog.
Although I have a new partner who loves to travel with me, I still try to travel alone at least once per year. Stepping out of my comfort zone is a challenge, but it's necessary for self-growth. There's nothing that compares to the strength and confidence you gain from embracing loneliness in an unfamiliar place and learning to rely on yourself.
Some of my favorite and most powerful moments in my life have been completely alone.
8. The Woman Traveler with Her Veganism: Wendy Werneth of The Nomadic Vegan
Wendy of The Nomadic Vegan.
Wendy left her home in the USA 20 years ago, and she has been traveling the world ever since, mostly with her husband. So far, she has visited 111 countries on all 7 continents. Four and a half years ago, she has transitioned herself into veganism and she was initially worried that being vegan would ruin her travel. Luckily, once she gave it a try, she found that it actually made her travels even more rewarding and fulfilling.
The Story Behind Her Journey
I travel because it's what I've always wanted to do. The more I travel, the more I discover yet more places that I want to visit. I am certain that I will continue to travel my whole life, or for as long as I am physically able.
My father instilled a love for travel in me from a very young age. Even though he didn't have many opportunities to travel himself, he owned dozens of coffee table books about cities and historical sites around the world.
As a young child, I used to say, “Daddy, let's go on a trip!” That was his cue to take one of these picture-filled books down from the bookshelf. Together, we would look through a book about the Hagia Sofia or the Dome of the Rock and dream about seeing it in person.
A few months after I graduated from college, I packed my bags for Europe and left for what was supposed to be a six-month trip. That was 20 years ago, and I've been traveling the world ever since.
The Obstacle of Traveling for Her and How She Overcomes It
In September 2014, after learning about what was happening to animals in the meat, dairy and egg industries, I decided I didn't want to be a part of that so I became vegan.
I was worried that being vegan was going to ruin travel, and I wasn't sure it would even be possible to find vegan food in some of the places I wanted to visit.
But once I gave vegan travel a try, I found to my surprise that, with a little research and advance planning, it made my travels even more fun and fulfilling. Now I share my vegan finds all around the world to show people who have the same fears and misconceptions I once had that they really can be vegan anywhere.
9. The Woman Traveler with Her Way to Keep Everything On-Budget: Cynthia Graham of Blue Bag Nomads
Cynthia of Blue Bag Nomads.
Cynthia and her husband travel together, and they have been location independent for three years in total. They spent 9 months in Europe, and are just finishing their 18-month epic road trip throughout the USA. Despite having a very limited income, they have managed to travel as the international pet sitters where they mostly use housesitting and pet sitting as their way to travel.
The Story Behind Her Journey
As a hobby, I started a travel blog in 2011. My desire has always been to share insights into our travels and hopefully inspire others to travel through interesting blogs and inspirational photos.
One of my top tips I chat with people about is not to wait until you retire to travel. Even if it is only a week at a time, the memories will last a lifetime.
I never felt comfortable leaving our young kids behind, so I waited till they had gone off to college to start traveling. My first international trip was to London with my sister. That's when the travel bug took a firm hold on me and hasn't let go.
The Obstacle of Traveling for Her and How She Overcomes It
But my traveling almost stopped there. I was heartbroken because I believed I would never be able to travel again as costs soared beyond our reach.
There was a slim chance I could come up with airfare but hotel costs, even Airbnb's, would break the bank. Then, by luck, we discovered house sitting, and we were set free.
With low fare airlines and doing serial house sitting, we cut costs enough to make travel possible again. Our journey has allowed us to visit 12 countries. We are currently in San Francisco on our 40th house sit. After San Francisco, we will be going to San Diego, New York City and in July we will be in Edinburg, Scotland with plans on spending the summer and fall in Europe.
As house sitters, we often stay for weeks or months at a time. This allows us to learn about the area and experience what it is like to live there, instead of rushing around like a tourist trying to cram as much sightseeing in as possible.
Read more of her stories on Blue Bag Nomads.
10. The Woman Traveler with Her Mission: Danielle Lawson of Live in 10 Countries
Danni of Live in 10 Countries. For safety reason, she prefers not to show her face in the picture.
Danielle is a small town girl who travels solo on a mission to live in 10 countries. She is currently in the 8th country, Australia, with her on-going mission to accomplish.
The Story Behind Her Journey
I'm a ginger (well, when my hair isn't dyed) on the internet who's trying to pursue a semi-insane dream. Basically, I want to live in 10 countries before I pop my clogs, and I've gone so far as to start a blog about it.
I should come clean though and say that I haven't hit the goal yet, but only eight so far – and I'm trying to bring everyone with me. Fingers crossed for two more countries before I get struck by lightning!
So, how did it all happen? Well, I started off in a pretty ordinary way, with a gap year in Peru and then a university degree in my own country.
The Obstacle of Traveling for Her and How She Overcomes It
When I graduated, the recession had hit Europe and I started to dare myself with the idea of working abroad. I don't think I'm in any way talented or special, nor am I by any means richer than others. But I became so obsessed with the idea that I finally got over my fear of going it alone. From there, it was a case of working my butt off in each location to pay rent.
I did it mainly because I wanted to do something I could be proud of, and because i could see myself accidentally falling into a job I hated at home and waking up one day wondering what happened.
There were many challenges and things that got in the way, of course. By far, the hardest was the worried faces of loved ones. My mom has long been certain I would never get married if I kept living abroad and when I started a sabbatical in Australia, she was convinced I'd never come back.
I do return though, and like to think that doing the things we love only makes us more ready to meet the partner of our dreams. Although I always travel solo, I think that connecting with and meeting people is all part of the journey.
Now that you've read the stories of the 10 women travelers in their journey, I hope it would encourage you to start yours.
Or are you a woman traveler who's already got your own stories to share? Drop a comment below to share your challenge in your travel and how you overcome it.
Meanwhile, I hope you have a good time on your travel and above everything… Safe travel to you, and cheerio! 😉
What a great article Marya. Thank you for including me and for showing through my story and those of the other 9 women who are featured that no matter what the obstacles, anybody can travel if they truly want to.
Absolutely love this post, and so enjoyed reading the stories of the other nine women featured, each one inspiring and uplifting to me. I am proud to be included in this piece!
What a great article Marya. Thank you for including me and for showing through my story and those of the other 9 women who are featured that no matter what the obstacles, anybody can travel if they truly want to.
likewise, thank you so much for allowing me to hear your raw stories and share it through my platform. safe travel always! 🙂
Absolutely love this post, and so enjoyed reading the stories of the other nine women featured, each one inspiring and uplifting to me. I am proud to be included in this piece!
thank you so much for your contribution, kavey.. safe travel always! 🙂