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February 7, 2013

The Courage to Travel: How to Make It Your Own

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The media dog has found a new bone. This time it is the topic of women traveling solo, and why we shouldn’t, using as the example the tragic death of 33-year-old solo female traveler, Sarai Sierra, an American, in Turkey.

I won’t start another post talking about why I support female travel, whether solo or not, because many great women who travel solo have already written wonderful articles on the subject.

I know of many women who not only travel alone often, but have also built successful travel writing careers as a result. Female travel bloggers I have long admired, such as Janice Waugh, who along with Tracey Nesbit run a site dedicated to everything and anything for solo travelers; Barbara Weibel of Hole in The Donut has been a solo traveler her whole life; travel bloggers of color such as Maureen Jenkins of Urban Travel Girl, Oneika Raymond of Oneika the Traveller and Kiratiana Freelon of KiratianaTravels.com, just to name a few, often share what it is to be a woman, traveling alone, and of color – which adds a completely different element to the experience all together.

The point is, and what all of these women have in common, is that they have not let anything; their gender, their unaccompanied status, their age, or even the color of their skin, get in the way of going out there and taking on the world.

When it comes to travel, fear is your greatest enemy and the largest road block. People go on and on and on about it being about the lack of money, or time, or flexibility from work, or family, or life – but they are all just cover ups for the fear. Stories like the one being hyped by the media on this very sad incident only serve to further excuse that fear and allow people to cushion their excuses for not traveling – to certain parts of the world certainly, but also as as a specific gender and alone.

Jodi Ettenberg, of Legal Nomads raised a good question, “Why are we talking about solo female travel, not violence against women?” in her great response to this issue.

I have often shared my story on travel, on having gone against almost every single limitation set before me to do so: I am a woman who grew up in a traditional Latino home. I have a family. Kids. Work. School. Money. I don’t speak the language. I look the way I do. I’m American. The list is endless.

But at the base of it all, the only limitation to travel is you and you alone. Think about anything you have ever really wanted in your life and what you have had to do to get it and keep it. Travel requires the same level of desire and intense level of commitment and focus. It requires what some call sacrificing (though I certainly don’t consider much of what I have to let go to travel to be a sacrifice) and it requires responsibility in preparation and in knowledge.

There are endless upon endless of blogs and books from people who have been there and learned from their mistakes. Take it upon yourself to read and become aware. No matter where you go, be it Florida or Istanbul, you will need to guard yourself with information and a sense of awareness that can help save everything from your money to your life.

Travel as a solo woman, or as a person of color, or as a family, or as a blond girl, or as an American, or as a gay person happens every day, all the time. People from all walks of life take on travel, some making great changes to do so, others just rolling out of bed and taking the next flight. Either way, it’s a choice that requires more from you than just getting on that plane.

Prepare yourself with the right knowledge and tools and travel can be a beautiful, life changing experience. Those who tell you otherwise are often dealing with their own insecurities and trying to wrap their heads around things they often don’t know anything about.

So, whether you want to travel solo or as a family, I hope you will not let others scare you against taking the leap. The purpose of life is to succeed, not in how well you guard each day, but in how much fear you conquer to actually get out there and live it to the fullest.

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Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, whether close to home or farther away. She is a small business owner and travel writer. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and Principal of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She lives, works, and plays in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of NY.

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9 Comments
  • Holy
    February 7, 2013

    Beautiful and so right on, Carol. I just came back from a two trip to Asia, some of it spent alone, some with a friend. We felt welcome everywhere we went and I'd do it again in a heart beat. There is so much to be gained traveling alone and taking the time to explore the world. For me, it was returning to my roots and the start of an annual trip on my own to see more of the world.

    Reply
  • Carol Cain
    February 7, 2013

    @Holy: I absolutely loved learning about your experience in Asia, Holly. Every time a woman travels and shares her journey, as you have, they serve to inspire and motivate others to do the same. So happy you will be doing this annually again 🙂

    Reply
  • Holly
    February 7, 2013

    Yes, now I have to find a way to express who much it meant to me on my blog. It's hard to find the words. Hopefully, they will come in the next few days.

    Reply
  • Monique
    February 9, 2013

    Well said. I take personal offense at many of the comments asking how could her husband "let" her travel or how selfish and irresponsible it was for her to travel without her children. I was recently traveled to Morocco alone, and while I certainly noticed that I was noticed, I didn't feel like I was in danger. I hope this doesn't stop women – black, white, single, married – from getting out and traveling.

    Reply
  • Carol Cain
    February 9, 2013

    @Monique: I agree, Monique. The first time I traveled to Europe I was 18. As I ventured alone through the streets of Milan (and this was in the late 80s) men and women would stop and stare at me. Though I was a "novelty" at the time, I was never in danger, and I was never afraid. Except for one incident, I was never in real danger…and Italy remains one of my favorite places to visit still. We just need to learn to travel smarter, and more aware, no matter what our gender.

    Reply
  • Imogen
    December 4, 2013

    My first time travelling completely alone, at 20 years old I am currently interning in SE Asia with an NGO called SOLS 24/7 and I LOVE IT! I'm so glad I decided to take a risk and travel for a year. Yes you do hear of stories of women being sadly attacked etc. but I definitely agree if you prepare, plan and remain cautious then nothing should stop you from travelling and having a great experience.

    Reply
    • caincarol
      Imogen
      December 5, 2013

      This sounds so wonderful! Good for you for pursuing your dreams and not letting fear stand in your way of anything. Safe and happy travels!

      Reply
  • Kelly Rogers
    April 30, 2014

    I like to travel. And my children also like to travel. It’s also a great way of bonding with my husband and kids. 🙂

    Reply
    • caincarol
      Kelly Rogers
      April 30, 2014

      @Kelly Rogers: I agree. My favorite way to travel as well : )

      Reply

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About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am an award-winning travel blogger, a keynote speaker, and the Principal and owner of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. I a wife to a handsome Irish/Scot and a mom to 3 sons and 2 puppies. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading and for your support!

Carol Cain

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If you are a foodie traveler, Madison, WI is a des If you are a foodie traveler, Madison, WI is a destination for you. This list of good eats were all within close proximity to each other and spots we made time for during our short weekend visit. So definitely note that this doesn’t even begin to cover the tip of the iceberg, but makes a good starter list!

📍@ShortStackEats in the heart of Downtown Madison is clearly a UW favorite. Loved their pancakes! We thought it was a pricey for breakfast, and only offered drip coffee, but the scene was fun, food was good, and service was friendly.
📍@SardineMadison is a waterfront French bistro that has stood the test of time (we’ve been coming here since we lived in Madison!). It can feel very corporate some nights, but their Happy Hour and brunch are definite highlights and it’s a really nice dining experience overall.
📍@EatattheAudrey impressed us! It’s not your usual “hotel restaurant” and I would say it easily stands alone as an eatery worth checking out in Madison. Great breakfast options, cozy vibes, nice bar, and good service!
📍@RamenStation1124 good, affordable ramen.
📍BlindShotSocialClub We really loved this spot for brunch (sorry, was enjoying the company and totally spaced out on capturing food images!). Golf fans will love hitting the putt here (you can reserve a private room too), and what I though was most cool was the delicious and wide selection of non-alcoholic cocktails to choose from. This place is a total vibe!
📍@StringsRamen is a chain, but I have to say it is some of the best ramen I have had in a long time. I especially loved how you can choose your ramen but heat level but also by Japanese region which allowed us to taste a couple of new flavors!
📍@Parthenongyros has been around awhile (hubby recalls coming here during his college years!) and was voted #1 take out in Madison! Though we indulged inside and away from the snow. A delicious, quick bite when strolling around State Street.

And again, this is just a starter list. There is so much more to eat and enjoy in this top foodie city! What other spots would you add to this list?

#madisonwi #foodiegram #foodiedestinations #goodeats @destinationmadison
I love to travel. It has always been important to I love to travel. It has always been important to my family. My parents got my first passport weeks after I was born. They couldn’t afford to travel like I do now, but they understood, as immigrants, the absolute privilege that comes attached to having that shiny blue American booklet and they wanted me to have it.

I was yet again reminded of my privilege when my travel back home on this last trip was delayed over 24 hours. I have a village in place to make sure my kids were ok. Having my own business meant I didn’t have to report in to anyone, and was still able to work remotely so none of my clients were inconvenienced by it. Though the airline covered our hotel and food, we never worried that we couldn’t do it ourselves otherwise. While we were annoyed, we weren’t stressed.

So while I love to travel, and I love sharing my travels with you, I acknowledge that being able to do so, and dealing with the consistent travel disruptions so prevalent today without worries is a privilege…one that started with a little blue booklet that gives me more access to the world than some others do.

And I want us all in this travel space to be reminded of this. Of how lucky we are. Of our privilege to access and time and money.

So let us travel with grace and awareness. Let us remain rooted in reality and perspective. Acknowledging that our escapism isn’t one so easily accessible to others. Understanding that this is also why local stories have as much value as those to exclusive destinations, if not more. And, never forgetting, especially in the travel influencer and media space, that were it not for hosted campaigns and paid-for travel opportunities, most of us wouldn’t be able to afford the lifestyle we so beautifully curate online.

It doesn’t matter how often you travel, or how far. Just that hopefully you will be able to gift yourself the experience of doing so and experiencing something new.

#travel #travelmedia #travelinfluencer #wheretonext
As I work on compiling all the good eats I experie As I work on compiling all the good eats I experienced in Madison, WI, I have to ask: what is your favorite meal of the day, and where did you experience a highlight of the same?

I am a huge fan of breakfast. This beauty was a blueberry pancake order from @shortstackeats. Pancakes are not a big thing for me, but these were pretty perfect. I am craving them still. 🥞♥️

#madisonwi #goodeats #travelingfoodie @destinationmadison
We got back on a plane! Here are scenes from a qui We got back on a plane! Here are scenes from a quick trip to Madison, WI - my first time back in 14 years! Though we were here for family matters, we did take a moment to explore a bit of what used to be a place we called home.

We couldn’t do anything else until we drove around Lake Monona, where we once had a home, and took in the wintery views (there is an epic 13.2-mile trail that loops around the lake that is worth exploring if you visit!). Though our time was limited, we were able to enjoy some of it along State Street exploring the shops, eateries, the FREE @mmocamadison, and the beautiful architecture of the WI State Capitol Building (the Dane County Farmers Market will soon pick up again - Saturdays, April 15 thru November 11, 2023 around the Capitol Building and it is one of the best farmers markets anywhere!). 

We booked a room at the @hiltonmadison Monona Terrace to be within walking distance of all the downtown fun (tip: for a room with a lake view make sure to book at the upper levels above 10th floor for an unobstructed view of Lake Monona). 

Madison, WI is a skip and a hop from the Finger Lakes so this short and sweet visit didn’t feel difficult at all. And we absolutely loved the winter scenery and seeing what has changed (a lot) since we lived here.

Stay tuned for my list of where we ate!

Have you ever been to Madison, WI?

#madisonwi #weekendgetaway #wisconsin @destinationmadison
The joy of that first sip of the day. #randommom The joy of that first sip of the day. 

#randommomentsarethebest
I think my husband enjoys it, but still can’t be I think my husband enjoys it, but still can’t believe how easily I’ve been waking up in the early mornings since our last trip. Not sure how to shake it, or if it’s temporary, but here it is: the rare sighting of me up and moving early in the day. Am I a morning person now? Has travel ever permanently changed any of your habits?

#morningperson #lifeinthecountry #newme <-😂

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