SWG2L: Travel
The night is beckoning although I have nowhere to go but home
Feels good to be alone
With every turn comes a new frame of mind if I could frame my mind
Where would it hang?
I crack a window and feel the cool air cleanse my every pore
As I pour my poor heart out
To a radio song that’s patient and willing to listen
My volume drowns it out
Yeah, but that’s okay cause I sound better than him anyway any day
Yeah my voice is sweet as salt
I search for comfort and I’ve found it where I’ve found it many times before
Times before can be forgotten
My pile shakes as I hit eighty on the open road
This is an open road song
-Eve 6, “Open Road Song”
I love to travel. Love it. I love the road trips involved and exploring new towns and finding out-of-the-way coffee shops and striking up conversations with random strangers. I love public transportation and the people you can meet while sitting on a plane. I love hotels and motels and campgrounds.
I love to travel.
In the last couple of years, I have been taking solo trips with increased frequency. It’s easier for me to just go rather than waiting around for someone else to have a free weekend.
But travelling alone is a spiky subject. There are extra risks if you’re alone (particularly if you’re young and female) and there can be some truly awkward situations when you have to face them alone. However, a little preparation -- mental and physical -- can go a long way.
In the interest of sharing the “expertise” I’ve gained, I now give you
Ashley’s Top Ten Single Woman Travel Tips
This is what I’ve learned from my early-morning road trips, my weekend camping trips, my wedding excursions, and my don’t-know-where-I’ll-sleep-but-here-I-go trips west.
1. Have an every-trip checklist.
I like to have a few things with me on every trip -- water, a sweatshirt, ibuprofen, antacid, a hairbrush (more of a necessity for me than a lot of my readers), a toothbrush, a book, a road atlas, a phone charger, a little extra cash. I also carry a towel with me most of the time, but that’s a different story. Maybe you can’t avert every disaster, but it’s best to be able to take care of some regular annoyances. [Author's note: Water is a must. Dehydration sucks.]
2. Plan -- but don’t overplan.
Sometimes you’re going to a wedding. Sometimes you’re just bored. If the whole point of the trip is that it’s a Saturday and you need to get out of Dodge before you lose your mind, give yourself a destination and at least one thing you want to do when you get there. Among other things, it’ll keep you moving ... and it will keep you from getting lost. There are no rules -- you don’t need to stop and turn around once you reach your destination -- but if you don’t give yourself somewhere to go, you increase the likelihood of driving around in some very unsatisfying circles.
Whatever you end up planning, make sure you have the appropriate paperwork before you get there and know the pertinent details. It does no good to take a shuttle bus somewhere if you don’t plan on leaving until after the last return bus leaves.
Instead of giving myself an itinerary (that I will inevitably abandon), I like to put together “information packets” with things like hours of operation, ticket prices, confirmation numbers (depending on if I’m staying somewhere overnight), and geocache coordinates. It takes five minutes to put together (handy since about 75% of the time I don’t know I’m going anywhere more than two days in advance) and that way I have everything in one place and some ideas whenever it is I get to my destination.
Most of the fun things you’ll find will be things you happen upon while you’re still en route. This is part of the reason I like geocaching; there are almost always a couple of caches to find, but they’re not binding and I never know what I’ll find when I show up at the sites.
3. Be flexible.
You’re alone. Odds are your plans are not dependent on other people. If you’re next in line for a boat ride but there’s a family of four behind you and there are only three seats left after you get on, be nice and let them get on the boat together, okay? [Author's note: That was a horribly organized sentence. I apologize.]
4. Rest.
If I have been going for three days solid and I can’t keep my eyes open, I stop at a rest stop for a nap. If I find myself at a park with time to kill, I have a book to read. Vacations are no fun if your brain can’t relax and road trips are no good if you end up wrapping your car around a light pole because you fell asleep at the wheel.
5. Eat.
Try to grab at least one meal a day at one place that doesn’t exist in your town of residence. Every meal doesn’t have to be an adventure (sometimes the only thing that sounds good is a roast beef sandwich at Arby’s), but don’t be afraid to strike outside your comfort zone.
It’s also helpful to keep something on hand for when you’re on the road over a meal time. I usually have granola bars in my purse and an apple or two in my car, particularly when I’ll be travelling at times that aren’t normal operating hours for food joints. If you dislike airline food as much as I do (or airport prices), have something easy on hand (and make sure it’s something you can take through security).
The bottom line -- don’t starve yourself! Keep your energy up.
6. Avoid shady truck stops.
There are several things that bother me about stopping at truck stops. One is simply that I stand out like a sore thumb -- a single twenty-something chick with a zippy sedan? Yeah. That raises an eyebrow or two. They’re also frequently more expensive than other gas stations, as is the tendency with most stations right next to the interstate. And then there’s the horror-flick atmosphere. I just try to avoid them altogether.
7. Don’t automatically avoid homegrown motels.
There’s a balancing act here. Little motels are cheaper and often times the owner is the one working the front desk. Some of the cleanest places I’ve stayed are these motels -- and some of the scariest. It’s kind of a crapshoot, to be perfectly honest. (Again, the horror-flick atmosphere can be enough to send you on down the road.) My rule of thumb is the bigger the city, the bigger the hotel I stay in. By all means, if you’re in a place where you’d rather have the security and the anonymity of a Holiday Inn, go for it, but if you’re in Podunk, Minnesota, see what the local motel has to offer.
8. Ask questions.
Not just when you’re lost -- people are almost always willing to give you ideas as far as where to go and what to do. Be polite (“Any hidden features in this town that I shouldn’t miss?” not “So is there anything worth seeing around here?”) but feel free to screen the people you ask. The sixty-year-old woman running the hotel will give you a completely different opinion than the 17-year-old waitress at the diner.
9. Ignore the stares.
People will wonder why you’re alone. It just happens that way, particularly in tourist-y or less urban areas. Don’t get defensive if people ask probing questions, but don’t give them way too much information either. Laugh to yourself and move on.
10. Find something to tie your trips together.
I’m always looking for bookstores and coffeeshops when I roll into a new town, and I make it a point to stop at a B&N if they have one. Some people like to find the kitschiest attraction in every town they visit. Take up a collection -- postcards, souvenir spoons, shot glasses. Start a travel journal. Take a picture in front of town hall. Make it something representative of you.
--- --- ---
That’s my list. What’s missing? What’s unnecessary?
Feels good to be alone
With every turn comes a new frame of mind if I could frame my mind
Where would it hang?
I crack a window and feel the cool air cleanse my every pore
As I pour my poor heart out
To a radio song that’s patient and willing to listen
My volume drowns it out
Yeah, but that’s okay cause I sound better than him anyway any day
Yeah my voice is sweet as salt
I search for comfort and I’ve found it where I’ve found it many times before
Times before can be forgotten
My pile shakes as I hit eighty on the open road
This is an open road song
-Eve 6, “Open Road Song”
I love to travel. Love it. I love the road trips involved and exploring new towns and finding out-of-the-way coffee shops and striking up conversations with random strangers. I love public transportation and the people you can meet while sitting on a plane. I love hotels and motels and campgrounds.
I love to travel.
In the last couple of years, I have been taking solo trips with increased frequency. It’s easier for me to just go rather than waiting around for someone else to have a free weekend.
But travelling alone is a spiky subject. There are extra risks if you’re alone (particularly if you’re young and female) and there can be some truly awkward situations when you have to face them alone. However, a little preparation -- mental and physical -- can go a long way.
In the interest of sharing the “expertise” I’ve gained, I now give you
Ashley’s Top Ten Single Woman Travel Tips
This is what I’ve learned from my early-morning road trips, my weekend camping trips, my wedding excursions, and my don’t-know-where-I’ll-sleep-but-here-I-go trips west.
1. Have an every-trip checklist.
I like to have a few things with me on every trip -- water, a sweatshirt, ibuprofen, antacid, a hairbrush (more of a necessity for me than a lot of my readers), a toothbrush, a book, a road atlas, a phone charger, a little extra cash. I also carry a towel with me most of the time, but that’s a different story. Maybe you can’t avert every disaster, but it’s best to be able to take care of some regular annoyances. [Author's note: Water is a must. Dehydration sucks.]
2. Plan -- but don’t overplan.
Sometimes you’re going to a wedding. Sometimes you’re just bored. If the whole point of the trip is that it’s a Saturday and you need to get out of Dodge before you lose your mind, give yourself a destination and at least one thing you want to do when you get there. Among other things, it’ll keep you moving ... and it will keep you from getting lost. There are no rules -- you don’t need to stop and turn around once you reach your destination -- but if you don’t give yourself somewhere to go, you increase the likelihood of driving around in some very unsatisfying circles.
Whatever you end up planning, make sure you have the appropriate paperwork before you get there and know the pertinent details. It does no good to take a shuttle bus somewhere if you don’t plan on leaving until after the last return bus leaves.
Instead of giving myself an itinerary (that I will inevitably abandon), I like to put together “information packets” with things like hours of operation, ticket prices, confirmation numbers (depending on if I’m staying somewhere overnight), and geocache coordinates. It takes five minutes to put together (handy since about 75% of the time I don’t know I’m going anywhere more than two days in advance) and that way I have everything in one place and some ideas whenever it is I get to my destination.
Most of the fun things you’ll find will be things you happen upon while you’re still en route. This is part of the reason I like geocaching; there are almost always a couple of caches to find, but they’re not binding and I never know what I’ll find when I show up at the sites.
3. Be flexible.
You’re alone. Odds are your plans are not dependent on other people. If you’re next in line for a boat ride but there’s a family of four behind you and there are only three seats left after you get on, be nice and let them get on the boat together, okay? [Author's note: That was a horribly organized sentence. I apologize.]
4. Rest.
If I have been going for three days solid and I can’t keep my eyes open, I stop at a rest stop for a nap. If I find myself at a park with time to kill, I have a book to read. Vacations are no fun if your brain can’t relax and road trips are no good if you end up wrapping your car around a light pole because you fell asleep at the wheel.
5. Eat.
Try to grab at least one meal a day at one place that doesn’t exist in your town of residence. Every meal doesn’t have to be an adventure (sometimes the only thing that sounds good is a roast beef sandwich at Arby’s), but don’t be afraid to strike outside your comfort zone.
It’s also helpful to keep something on hand for when you’re on the road over a meal time. I usually have granola bars in my purse and an apple or two in my car, particularly when I’ll be travelling at times that aren’t normal operating hours for food joints. If you dislike airline food as much as I do (or airport prices), have something easy on hand (and make sure it’s something you can take through security).
The bottom line -- don’t starve yourself! Keep your energy up.
6. Avoid shady truck stops.
There are several things that bother me about stopping at truck stops. One is simply that I stand out like a sore thumb -- a single twenty-something chick with a zippy sedan? Yeah. That raises an eyebrow or two. They’re also frequently more expensive than other gas stations, as is the tendency with most stations right next to the interstate. And then there’s the horror-flick atmosphere. I just try to avoid them altogether.
7. Don’t automatically avoid homegrown motels.
There’s a balancing act here. Little motels are cheaper and often times the owner is the one working the front desk. Some of the cleanest places I’ve stayed are these motels -- and some of the scariest. It’s kind of a crapshoot, to be perfectly honest. (Again, the horror-flick atmosphere can be enough to send you on down the road.) My rule of thumb is the bigger the city, the bigger the hotel I stay in. By all means, if you’re in a place where you’d rather have the security and the anonymity of a Holiday Inn, go for it, but if you’re in Podunk, Minnesota, see what the local motel has to offer.
8. Ask questions.
Not just when you’re lost -- people are almost always willing to give you ideas as far as where to go and what to do. Be polite (“Any hidden features in this town that I shouldn’t miss?” not “So is there anything worth seeing around here?”) but feel free to screen the people you ask. The sixty-year-old woman running the hotel will give you a completely different opinion than the 17-year-old waitress at the diner.
9. Ignore the stares.
People will wonder why you’re alone. It just happens that way, particularly in tourist-y or less urban areas. Don’t get defensive if people ask probing questions, but don’t give them way too much information either. Laugh to yourself and move on.
10. Find something to tie your trips together.
I’m always looking for bookstores and coffeeshops when I roll into a new town, and I make it a point to stop at a B&N if they have one. Some people like to find the kitschiest attraction in every town they visit. Take up a collection -- postcards, souvenir spoons, shot glasses. Start a travel journal. Take a picture in front of town hall. Make it something representative of you.
--- --- ---
That’s my list. What’s missing? What’s unnecessary?
Comments
I didn't always do this. My parents were once quite surprised to call me and hear I was 200 mi from where I was supposed to be.
It seems to sacrifices some of the freedom of the journey, but gives a little extra safety.