o, #SoloTravel is having a moment. But
lots of women are feeling left out: 58 per-
cent of you say you wouldn’t feel comfort-
able adventuring on your own, according
to a recent Cosmo poll. This sort of
makes sense (thank you, news, for always being filled
with dire woman-traveling-alone stories). But it’s also kind
of annoying. Like, yeah, some of the perils are real—but
who wants to wait to see the world until you find an S.O.
or until your cal magically syncs up with your BFF’s? The
truth is that you can, and should, have a blast setting
off by yourself. It’s just about figuring out how to win
at me-time and, of course, staying smart.
“JUST ONE?”
F*CK YES.
KING-
SIZE BED
FOR ME,
PLZ NO
PARTNER,
NO
BAGGAGE
Having to answer “YEP,
JUST ME” every time a
waiter asks is enough to
make even the most
blissed-out tourist feel a
wee bit lonely. “I usually
make a joke out of it,
which breaks the awk-
wardness,” says Berna
Anat (@HeyBerna), a
financial influencer who
travels solo. “I tell them
‘I’m taking myself on a
date’ or ‘I can entertain
myself.’” But you also
don’t owe anyone an
explanation. “Just say
‘yes’ proudly with a
smile,” says Queenie
Mak, who runs the travel
blog Ms Travel Solo. Then
enjoy a meal with your
fave companion (you).
No diva-ish travel
buddies mean you can
finally stay where you
want to stay. When
searching for a room, put
your trust in reviews, and
pay special attention to
exact locations, not just
neighborhoods. “I once
noticed in the comments
o f a C a p e To w n A i r b n b
that it was really close to
a loud nightclub,” says
Anat. “That means there
are always going to be a
bunch of drunks around—
not great if you’re a single
woman.” Same goes if
your hotel is in a super-
secluded area that you’ll
need an expensive Uber
to and from.
Being on your own means
packing light—and like a
genius. You need a bag
you can actually lug
a ro u n d o n y o u r o w n,
sometimes for long peri-
ods of time. “When I
started to travel solo, I
used a giant backpack,”
says Mak. “It killed my
back. Now I use a much
smaller one and only
bring the necessities.”
Sorry, amahzing-but-
huge-knee-high boots—
you’re staying at home.
Make a few clothes last
the entire trip by bringing
a stain pen and a
small bottle of detergent
and washing dirties
in the sink.
Now that you’re a party
of one, there’s no one
a ro u n d t o r u s h y o u r p e r-
fect shot or shame you for
taking too many selfies
(t h e r e’s n o s u c h t hi n g,
BTW). Instead, pair up
with the most influencer-
esque equipment of all: a
tripod. Grab a tiny one
for under $10 at Target
and throw it in your purse.
Pop your phone into it
when inspiration strikes,
and use your self-timer. If
you just can’t nail the pic
on your own, look for
someone carrying a real
camera. “They probably
know how to take better
photos,” says Kristin
Addis of the blog Be My
Travel Muse. “If I don’t like
their snaps, I thank them,
then wait a few minutes
and ask someone else.”
If a sitch feels at all
sketchy, pull out your
stranger-danger skills
from kindergarten. “I’ll
say my ‘partner’ is joining
me—even though I’m not
married—or that I’m
m e e t i n g u p w i t h my f a m -
ily,” says Kiersten Rich of
The Blonde Abroad blog.
Google Map a hotel
before you book and
make sure it’s in a central
area. No matter where
you stay, pack a rubber
door-stopper wedge,
which you can buy on
Amazon for under $10.
“There are stories about
hotel keys being reused,”
says Anat. “Just stick a
stopper under the front
door and no one will be
able to get in.”
Your absolute must- pack
item: a dummy wallet,
s a y s A d d is. “ I hi d e t h e
good stuff, like my
credit card, in my shoe or
bra and just have a bag
with petty cash and
canceled cards I can
hand over if someone
tries to mug me.”
Embrace the #LaterGram.
“Take photos, soak it in,
t h e n g o t o a s a f e p l a c e
and post,” says Anat.
“That way, you’re not
broadcasting where you
are on your own.” Then
you get to properly obsess
over the French gardens
you traveled 5,000 miles
to see in real time.
s
*ALL* THE
PICS,
WITHOUT
THE
DRAMA
Th
an
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ra
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o^
du
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,^
We’re giving
away $100,000
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Really. Seriously.
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96 Cosmopolitan September 2019
