Sometimes all women want to do is to throw everything away and have a good trip… But where? With who? What if I decide to go alone and something goes wrong? We gathered Cásper girls’ experiences to show you now how it is completely possible to be a woman and go on your own trip alone – and more: how it can be totally amazing and, maybe, the best trip of your life.
Carolina Faita – California, EUA
The sophomore student of Cásper LĂbero College went to San Diego (California), when she was 14, to spend a month. Still very young, she looked for a place where the traditions were similars to the Brazilians – and where she could enjoy the beach! Her trip didn’t started very well: right on the very first day her host family had to attend a funeral, and she wasn’t prepared for the following events: the end of her cell phone battery, getting off at the wrong bus point, realizing all stores close early and walking 1km until she finds a 54 years old woman, who by chance, was also Brazilian. Then, she finally could find her host family. By Twitter, she also made a Brazilian friend who studied at the same school Carolina was attending, and they became friends for life!
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Carol regrets going so young, because she believes that it could’ve worked better if she was older. But all the evolution and new perspective that California gave her was sufficient. She’s very grateful to have had this opportunity, meet new people, and she started to value her parents so much more for this chances. All the experience was an enormous learning for her.
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Stephanie Calazans – New Zealand, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia
Stephanie went on a seven months exchange trip to New Zealand plus a month and a half of free travel with her sister toIndonesia, Thailand and Malaysia, Stephanie turned 25 years old. Her natural calm vibes made the countries choices easy, and during all that time, she shared rooms with strangers and went through some scary moments: she didn’t know what to expect, if she would find friendships or miss home. But she also had crazy moments, like the two times that she broke her teeth, when she got a disease in Bali or when she almost got arrested by drinking at night in New Zealand. She also lost one flight, was stolen and lost almost everything. A lot of bad moments!
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However, the good moments were with Stephanie all the time. There were Brazilians everywhere and the countries’ hosts received her very well. She started to value so much more things, got independence, changed her entire head and the way she treats others. So, she says: “Go with your mind open and live one day at a time. Get rid of your anxiety, don’t think on long term, don’t deposit you hope on others, don’t judge, don’t trust everyone. People are different, have other values, and you need to deal with this. Although you’re free, you need to preserve yourself. Take care of you. It’s you for you.”
LetĂcia Dias – England, Japan and Asia
Since she was 16, when LetĂcia made her first trip, she didn’t stop travelling. Her first travel was an exchange to Cambridge – England, but more recently, in 2016, she went to Japan (her dream since she was a kid), spending two months in the United Arab Emirates and then, living in Tokyo. She also made a free trip by South Korea, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore during this last trip, to Japan, that lasted 4 months! And not mentioning all her trips inside Brasil.
For those who want to know the countries’ culture and language, she recommends staying at host families, it’s funny to see the differences! Besides the pre-traveling anxiety, there was one time that LetĂcia felt scared, when a boy’s group was making some noises at a dark street in Kuala Lumpur. But nothing happened and right after that she was inside her hostel. And she had a leg’s infection when she was in Asia – also a fright, in the lasts moments of her trip.
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She went to a lot of places, went to festivals, participated on traditional ceremonies like the tea one in Tokyo and, even shy, lots of people started conversations with her, curious about the Olympics that were happening in Rio. She tried various restaurants and guarantee that Asia’s food is fabulous!
Leticia loves to travel alone, even for the weekend, and thinks everyone should try this. She likes to create her own itinerary, make her choices, have her own company and learn a lot with herself, about how she deals with the world. “Don’t let people bring you down about going alone” she says. And, very different of what people say, it was a calm trip (unfortunately we women still need to have a good sense of care) and you can ask to change your hostel room to the ones that have no men, for example, if you don’t feel comfortable – she advices. “Try not to arrive and leave your destination early in the morning, when the city is empty. Talk to women who have already been where you want to go and trust on your gut. And pay your travel health insurance – it’s always better to have one”.
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