La-La-Ladies

Here’s the thing.  Women are freakin’ amazing. Honestly, we are simply sublime.

But here’s the other thing: when it comes to travelling, we full-bosomed creatures face a whole heap of challenges. 

It can be incredibly daunting to be out there on your own as a lady. There are so many things to be concerned about and it can really dampen the experience sometimes, because unfortunately for us girls on this planet, we do need to take extra precautions and make some scarifies to make sure we get home safe at the end of each day.

My upmost concern for my travels was my safety as a female. Despite my blasé approach to my travel plans, I was notorious in ensuring I was prepared for the absolute worst if I found myself in an uncomfortable position. I watched self-defence videos on YouTube and logged the local police numbers in my phone before landing in a new country. I sacrificed spending too long out after dark if I was on my own, and always stuck by elderly couples and families when travelling on public transport. On nights out, I’d even slip a ring on to my wedding finger to ward off any persistent strangers.

I was once caught in a situation where a middle-aged fellow sat in front of me on a bus and kept throwing me sheepish looks through the crack in his seat. Unsure but unconcerned, I ignored his ministrations and kept to myself. He finally approached me by asking my name (Sophie, of course!) and if I was alone (Alone? Of course not! My BODYBUILDING BOYFRIEND is meeting me in Milan). His questions became more direct, and he asked for my Facebook details (Facebook? I’ve never heard of that?) and my phone number (A phone number? No, I’m afraid I don’t have one of those!). He got so angry that I wasn’t up to being best mates, that he started becoming quite aggressive about my unwillingness to share my contact information. I ended up running off the bus and hiding behind a pillar at the station for a few hours to make sure I was well away from him. 

While I was sitting on that station floor, looking frazzled and afraid, I met a young woman who’d travelled from America to Au Pair for a family in the next town over. She listened as I recited my bus experience, nodding knowingly. And without a word, she sprung up and disappeared into the crowd. She returned two minutes later, sat down next to me, threw a comforting arm around my shoulder, and in her other hand, produced a steaming hot packet of McDonald’s fries.

And in that moment shared with a nameless goddess, she made me realise the wonder of women in this world.

I can’t explain the rush of pride I get seeing a girl with a backpack strapped on her back and her nose stuck in a map. Or the empowerment I felt stepping into an all-female dorm. I get butterflies hearing that someone's wandering on her lonesome to follow a lifelong dream.  

The adoration I hold for every woman travelling somewhere in this world is too astronomical to fathom, nor can I put into words how much they inspire much of my own wanderlust.  

So to my fellow sisters, I dedicate this to you.

For your strength, and your courage, and your general aura of amazingness.

This one here is for all the ladies wandering the world.  

I always have and always will admire every single one of you.