Lone female travelers

I'll be traveling through Los Angeles for four days next week by myself. I originally thought I could couch surf but I think I need to be more active in the local community for couchsurfing hosts to accept my requests. Right now I just kind of look like a crazy, selfish person with no friends who wants free accommodation. Couchsurfing is a safe community because most of the members have been vouched for by other members, so I feel little apprehension about asking to stay at a man's house. However, I just had a surf request denied by an experienced host. Though he was likely put off by my newness to the site and the fact that no one has vouched for me on my profile, my knee-jerk interpretation was that he was hinting a lone female traveler probably shouldn't request to stay in an unknown man's home.

Traveling by myself doesn't strike me as scary because I often travel alone (in fact, whenever I've traveled I've been alone). I love being independent and I firmly believe women can do anything if they don't let others stop them. Being afraid of being on our own is a product of oppression, I think. We have to fight that fear. We have to not let others instill self-doubt or stop us from realizing our independence.

But people have tried.

My mother reduced me to tears last year when I told her I wanted to spend a weekend in New York City by myself. "You haven't proven to me that you're ready to do this," she said, among other baseless assaults on my intelligence and maturity that I have never under any other context heard her say. After I pulled myself together I realized that she was only saying that to keep me safe; the thought of me traveling alone scares her a great deal more than it scares me.

I think my independence might be considered foolhardy by others, but there is no better way to gain independence and self confidence than by letting ourselves be open and vulnerable to others (...who have been vouched for). My request was probably denied because I have yet to prove to people in my own community that I am worthy of others' hospitality. But as I travel I'll wonder if others are doubting me because I am young, female and on my own.

If you are a female traveler, please share your thoughts!

Bloggerstock~

Thanks to Nyx for this fantastic bloggerstock post!! Mine will be on Syrah's as soon as I finish it.




The prompt was to respond to a picture, that I can't link to at the moment. I'll have it up here asap. Just belive me when I say this story captures the mood and content beautifully!

Hey all, Nyx here. This month’s bloggerstock was interesting – write a story about a picture! Not as easy as it sounds folks.

Anyways, here’s my humble contribution. Like what you read? Check out my blog at Notions. Also, major thanks to Alex for putting this all together, and to Daisy for hosting me!

Seriously. I cannot compete with this level of awesome.

Without further adieu….



Alyssa’s hair glinted in the sunlight – flaxen strands of gold, gathered under a pale pink hat. A present from her great-aunt, it kept flopping over her brow as she wandered the city in search of her next big adventure.

She was not supposed to be there.

The child’s mother was in Italy on a business trip to discuss an important merger. They had family in Italy, and so she had left her daughter with them while she attended the meeting. No television, no gaming systems. Alyssa was wont for something to do, and so while her great-aunt was busy cooking, she slipped through the back door and set off to explore.

She had, at first, made her way through the city, and had decided in a most definite way that there was nothing there for her. That was, until, she had come upon an old ramshackle building. Finding a hole in its outer wall, she slipped through and made her way into the courtyard. It was, of course, overrun with weeds and debris. She was certain that at one point in time, this place had housed a garden of some sort, but years of neglect had turned it into something wild and untamed and absolutely magical.

Meandering her way through the garden, she giggled as a butterfly flitted from one colorful bloom to the next. Enchanted, she followed her new friend, watching as it delicately landed from one petal to the next, dancing a ballet of sorts. Alyssa could smell the aroma of the flowers as it wafted past her, and she could hear the birds singing their songs overhead. Somewhere a bee buzzed, and Alyssa decided that it was a happy sort of sound – the type of sound one made when one was truly contented with life.

It was while she was sniffing a flower that she saw it. A rabbit, white and pure, hopping under a nearby rosebush. Stepping lightly so as not to startle it, Alyssa slowly crept closer to it. She thought she caught a glimpse of something metallic – a pocket watch, perhaps? – before the creature saw her and sprinted away. She ran to catch up with it, but alas – it was to no avail. She wound her way through the gardens, slowly going deeper and deeper. Before Alyssa knew it, she was lost. Her shoes scuffed on the cobblestones as she looked around, bewildered but not frightened.

Turning to her left, she caught a flash of white go around the corner – perhaps it was the rabbit! She crept over to the wall, and slowly peered around it….