Travel Secrets f0r the Woman Traveller

Travel Secrets for the Woman Traveller

I am writing this article with a bit of sadness because it is focussed only on Woman traveller. I wish there was a day when a women traveller is called a “ Traveller “. Why are men not called Men travellers? Why is it that when a woman does something the gender has to be highlighted?

Let’s face the reality, We have all faced problems from the society at some point or the other.

We cannot change the world but we can be the change we want to see in the world. It sounds very dramatic but true. Little things we realize and do can help us a long way through this journey. Here are a few pointers to fight through the world and tick off that trip from your bucket list.

1.Your ATTITUDE is F’d up

We are constantly being exposed to the media showcasing rape cases and sexualising of women on social media platforms whatsoever. It is normal to feel paranoid about the world when especially when you are in India.

Remember that the media covers only what grabs attention. I agree that there are women facing trouble in our country but what you see is only a wee bit of reality. There are a hell lot of amazingly strong women out there breaking the odds and living a life of their choice. You can start reading their blogs, get to know their lifestyle and get inspired. Remember, We are smart, educated and wise enough to face most of the problems. All you need to do is thorough research, find the right contacts and plan your travel right.

You will never be able to enjoy travelling or even living in India as a woman if you judge the world based on the tiny picture you see. Change that attitude first, then eventually other things will fall into place. Look at the brighter side, there are some benefits which you will be able to get just because you are a WOMAN. Like I had mentioned earlier, Do the research and planning right.

You will see a lot of social media posts like “ Book a one-way ticket and leave“, “ Adventure Awaits “ but please don’t just book a ticket and wait for the world to surprise you. You will end up regretting or wanting to come back. It is not called being “ adventurous”, it’s called being  STUPID.

Planning is important. Research is importanter. Yass! IMPORTANTER !

Remember this commandment dear woman, “ Thou shalt not take a trip without research or planning”

2.Your Energy Matters

I posted a question on my Instagram story recently asking about the problems women face during traveling. An insta friend texted me that she is always facing problems in local transport that men push themselves onto her or they try to harass her.

They push and fall on you because your body language would have seemed like you were scared of them. I read this in a Sushmitha Sen’s interview article, “ If you can walk into a room with that level of confidence on your body that you will be able to take the world down if someone tried messing around with you, NO MAN CAN HURT YOU.“.

I applied this in my real life for a different scenario, it worked in 5 minutes. I was sitting in the waiting room of Bandra Terminus, Railway station, Mumbai. I had to sit there a few hours early because they had told me the lounge rooms were full. It was around 9 PM, my train to Udaipur was around 11 PM. The person-in-charge of the room came closer to me telling me that I can only wait here 2 hours before my journey time. The room was not even full. He was expecting bribe or he must have just wanted to annoy me. I told him very politely that I don’t feel safe to sit alone outside, he seemed like he wasn’t bothered about it.

I got out of the room and I started walking towards to station master’s room. He started calling me in, I never turned back. I kept walking faster. He tried calling me again. I knew he was going to let me sit inside knowing that I was ready to go tell the station master. I went and told that station master that I don’t feel safe here and that would like to speak to the railway police. The station master reassured me about the safety policies and called that in-charge again and made me sit in the waiting room.

This might seem like a silly example but I am sure everyone in the room knew that I don’t give in easily. I was at that station for the next few hours and nobody dared to mess around.Find where there is power and try to make it yours.

Your energy matters lot more than you think. All you have to do is be confident and know your rights.

Try avoiding the situation where you are all alone and there are chances of getting cornered. Remember it takes hardly 2-3 secs to punch someone. If you are not confident enough to punch, you can always scream, I am sure there will be someone on the bus to help you out. Trust me, All men aren’t the same. Know your rights as a Women and the legal procedures. Did you know? You can even file an FIR online.

3.Convincing your parents

Most of the Indian parents think that their children are matured enough to get married and have kids on their own at 23 years but cannot go for a trip to the nearest hill station. Honestly, there isn’t much you can do about it. You can try explaining them and give them all the information about the trip. The more information they have, the more convinced they are.

You can try talking to an elder relative of yours like a cousin, an aunt or a good family friend and try to make your parents understand through them that you are a grown up and you are ready to face the world. You can try explaining them about point number 1 about changing their attitude about the world. Try and try and try, Someday they will let you take that trip. The mantra is to never stop trying.

That’s all, folks.

Written By Cynthia Joseph (+91 8884738199)

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