Traveling the country is an extraordinary experience that I feel everyone should have at least once in their life, especially if they enjoy traveling. There is so much beautiful land, monuments, and history to take in. However, as a girl, we also have to think smart when we travel, especially if it is on our own or with other girls. This past summer, I traveled for nine days across the country with my best friend. We are both girls so we went into the trip very aware of our safety, but we were also able to learn and still have an incredibly fun time. I want to share some of these experiences and tips I have gained so that other women can feel better about traveling solo or with friends.
1. Lock your doors and window
One of the main things my friend and I were adamant on doing each time we left our car or went to a hotel was lock our doors. Even if we were just stopping at a gas station, we would roll up our windows and double check that the doors were locked. This is because we were in an atmosphere where we were not necessarily comfortable and we did not know the area. At night, I would sometimes laugh at how many times we checked each car door, including the trunk, but now I know that it was well worth it, because you never know what could happen. Once in the hotels, we would also close the shades and lock the bedroom door. Depending on the place we were staying, we would sometimes even put something in front of the door so that if it were to be opened we would hear it.
2. Plan on a general area you want to end up by nightfall
Planning where you are staying is also a big part of traveling for such a long period of time. Because this was a cross country trip, we did not fully plan ahead with each place we would stay because we were not entirely sure how far we would drive each day. Instead, we would create a goal of where we wanted to end up, and then call places the morning of. We decided to stay in non tourist towns (but also ensuring they felt safe to stay) so that the places we called would have vacancy. We found this to be very beneficial to ourselves, but you may have a different way of going about it!
3. Don’t tell anyone where you are from or where you are going
This tip is one that I find extremely important while traveling as a girl/woman. You never know what someone’s intentions are so we found that being private while traveling is a safe option. While on this road trip with my best friend, we stopped at Scotts Bluff National Park to experience this beautiful landmark in Nebraska. While taking in the gorgeous view from just outside of our car, a man approached us and asked if we were “from around here”. I lied and said yes because we did not want to give him any details of our trip and that we are two girls traveling alone. One other example of this is when we were in a museum. We were purchasing a map and the cashier asked us where we were heading. We both knew to be cautious so we were very broad and said New England. The room was filled with other people so we played it safe by not saying which route we were taking when he asked.
4. Share your location with someone you trust
My last piece of advice for people traveling, especially women, is to share your location with a trusted family member or friend. Not only did this make me feel safer along my journey but it can also help them feel better about me being so far from home. I already always have my location shared with my older brother and my best friends for my own peace of mind. For this trip, I also shared my location with my mom. This way, if anything were to happen and I couldn’t call someone, they can see where I am.
I wanted to provide a list of tips to consider while traveling far from home while also being involved in activities and fun sightseeing. I value the importance of having fun while traveling, but if I feel uncertain of my surroundings, my safety will always come first. As a woman, I was a bit anxious to take this trip, but I never want to let that scare me out of having an amazing experience. I hope that these tips can help other women to gain the confidence to travel solo or in a group.