While I have never read "Eat, Pray, Love." I do admire how it inspired women to travel alone. Ever since my early twenties, I've enjoyed the humbling realities of traveling solo, starting with my first backpacking journey around Europe by myself. It was empowering to meet people along the way and also to leave those people behind and pursue my own path.
I also learned that I wasn't the only woman who loved this type of travel. Even before Gilbert's book went viral, women were discovering the benefits of traveling alone - but now, 10 years on, it's comforting to note that the trend is a growing one and to hear the stories of women who have found new passion in their lives after their own solo trips.
Indianapolis schoolteacher, Laura Rinderknect, who used Intrepid Travel to go on her own journey of self discovery, was inspired by her own divorce, similar to the Gilbert's book.
"Taking time to get to know yourself after a divorce is vital... And what better way than travel. I think you're forced to get to know yourself when you travel. We get into patterns, into ruts. It's easy to fall into a routine and just be on autopilot. It's impossible to do that when you're in a foreign country where you don't speak the language, don't recognize any of the food, and have to mime your way through the entire day. Not everything will go right, and you figure it out."
Evidence that solo female travel is a growing trend is on our side, ladies.
In 2014, a survey commissioned by Booking.com found that more than half of women are more likely to travel solo now than they were five years ago. The survey also noted that solo holidays boost women's self esteem. And an article by the Adventure Travel Trade Association noted that women are feeling more and more empowered to travel by themselves with the advent of social media and a growing sense of safety in the world.
There is a general consensus among solo women travelers that the ability to have local, authentic experiences; to disconnect from daily routines; and to be free from the constraints of pleasing fellow travelers are some of the biggest advantages of traveling alone. No matter what the reason, women should feel empowered to go it solo, whether they are inspired by a book like "Eat. Pray. Love.," a show on the Travel Channel or just an insatiable desire to see the world - there's no wrong reason to get out there and see the world.
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