These Women Are Traveling The World Alone — And Having The Time Of Their Lives

For many of us, a solo adventure across the globe seems nerve-wracking. We’re used to tirelessly catering our vacations to our loved ones for fear of what it’d be like to really, really be alone in a foreign country. That’s not the case for everyone – we’ve all seen Reese Witherspoon in Wild and followed Julia Roberts on her life-affirming trip away in Eat, Pray, Love. More than ever, fearlessly independent women have been throwing caution to the wind and traveling the world alone – and they’re absolutely having the time of their lives. Two’s company, but one’s a party if you play it right.

Here are some stories from women who’ve traveled the globe solo, the lessons they’ve learned, and the amazing experiences they found abroad.

There’s Been A 60% Increase In Female Solo Travel

According to Cynthia Dunbar, general manager of backpacking/wilderness travel company REI Adventures, there’s been a huge increase in women traveling the world alone.

“Since 2010, women traveling with us has grown by 60 percent, and we continue to see this figure grow steadily each year. Last year alone, 58 percent of all our guests were women,” she told Conde Nast Traveler.