And I Don't Really Care If Nobody Else Believes

This past August, I decided that I wanted to change the course of my life and travel the world solo for a year. The decision may have been made official in August, but my heart knew far in advance what it wanted. 

And, as with everything in life, many people had their different opinions about my plans. A lot of my friends and some of my family were super supportive in this. But some were not totally on board with it. My parents, for example, were quite against me traveling the world on my own when I first told them. It took a lot of convincing, and basically telling them that there was no way that I was not doing this, before they finally realized that this was going to happen. After that, I told them the logistics of my plan, why I wanted to go, and showed them the community of people who travel solo. And soon, they were just as excited for my trip as I was. Now my parents are fully supporting me and really encouraging me to follow my travel dreams. 

Unfortunately though, there are still some family and friends who have told me that I ought to re-think my world travel dream. So how does one deal with that and try to show them why this is so important to you?

Well, I'm currently trying to figure that out. I think I am going to try my best to open up their eyes; show them that, while this world does have a lot of hate and violence in it, it also still has a lot of love. That's one of the things that I want to show people. Yes, there are bad people in the world which we live, but not every soul is bad. I'm going to try to get my point across to all of the naysayers and make sure they know that I believe in myself and my journey. I understand that not everyone will get it, but I do want my family to believe in me and the path that I have chosen.

I guess I just don't understand why they think this won't be my best choice. I am choosing to do something that is not considered "normal" for a 20 year old girl, but that does not mean that it is the wrong path in life. Those who have had a negative opinion about my travels have even tried to tell me that I am just running away from life, or that I'm "lost". But the truth is that I'm running towards life and creating my own reality. Instead of living in the norm, I will be out exploring the world and taking in different cultures, experiences, and life lessons. What path could be better than that?

I'm going to gather up articles and blog posts from other solo female travelers and travel bloggers in general, and make a list for all of my non-believers to read (if they want to). And if they still think that all of this is not a reasonable thing after reading about other's journeys, hearing my reasons for following my heart, and realizing the world is not as terrible as they think, then I've done all that I can.

While I would love to have all of the support in the world, I went into this knowing that was not going to be the case. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and that is perfectly fine. 

In the end, this is my journey. I have done extensive research (for over a year now!) on travel and solo female travel, and all of the countries in which I'm planning to visit. I know what I am capable of. I have a good head on my shoulders. I have confidence in myself AND I DON'T REALLY CARE IF NOBODY ELSE BELIEVES. I know I can do this and my heart if fully in it. That's all that truly matters.

Has anyone else ever dealt with this? If so, how did you handle it?! Please let me know!

xx


THE LIST!!
Not all those who wander are lost - World of Wanderlust
The Solo Woman Traveler Manifesto - World of Wanderlust
Everything you need to know about solo travel - World of Wanderlust
Don't be afraid to walk alone - Lauren Marinigh
Why all women should travel solo - The Blonde Abroad
How to make friends while traveling solo - Adventurous Kate
Top 10 travel safety tips for women - Adventurous Kate
7 common travel myths that are wrong - Nomadic Matt
Women shouldn't be afraid to travel alone - A Wandering Sole (via Nomadic Matt)
Why I became a solo female traveler - Be My Travel Muse (via Nomadic Matt)

Travel Inspired Tattoos

*Photo credit to InstagramQuotes

I am personally a lover of tattoos. I have 2 of my own at the moment, but as we all know, once you get one, you want so many more. I think that they are one of the coolest ways to express yourself and your creativity. Sometimes they have deep meanings, and other times they really have no meaning at all. To me, that's the coolest thing about tattoos. I love looking at other people's tattoos and wondering if they have a meaning behind them.

Now a days, having tattoos is fairly common. This is especially true for us free spirits and seekers of adventure. So, for a little bit of inspiration (travel and tattoo), here are some of my favorite travel and adventure inspired tattoos!

1. The Compass

Pinterest

2. The Map

Choose Directions

3. The Plane

 

Pinterest

4. The Paper Plane (I'm actually planning on getting a paper plane tattoo on my right wrist in the near future :)

Tumblr

5. The Wanderlust

Follow Pics

6. The Birds (this is my actual tattoo!!!)

7. The Inspirational Word (Also my tattoo!!!)

8. The Skyline

Bonjour

These are just some of the travel inspired tattoos that I absolutely love. I could spend hours looking though travel tattoos. They inspire my wanderlust like nothing else!

Do you have any travel tattoos?! Or tattoos that inspire you?! Let me know in the comments!
Until next time!

xx

Weekend Getaway: Boston Highlights

This time last week, I was back on the East Coast enjoying the pouring rain and freezing weather. I was in America's walking city, The Hub; Boston, Massachusetts! I was there for the Women in Travel Summit and had an amazing time. This being my first time in Boston, I tried to do as much exploring as I could in my packed weekend. Also, the fact that Boston is such a compact city made this a lot easier for me. Just about everything is within walking distance.

So, without further ado, here are my weekend in Boston highlights!

Logan Airport

Now, you're probably thinking "why is she including an airport?", BUT I am a sucker for a cool airport location. Flying into Boston's Logan Airport, you first have to go out and fly over the Atlantic before landing. I love those types of landings. During those few minutes of flight over the ocean, you get a gorgeous view of all the small islands off of the Massachusetts coast. Great for people who love to take a million photos while flying.

Hostelling International USA, Boston

This weekend was my first time staying in a hostel. I was not expecting much at all, but HI Boston blew me away! It was one hell of a hostel! With free breakfast every morning, free wifi, a TV room, and loads of comfy places to hang out, it's the perfect place to chill out after a day or night of exploring the city. And the staff was really nice as well. But now I have to lower my expectations for all the other hostels I'll be staying at in the future! If you are ever in Boston, I very highly recommend staying at HI Boston.

Fire & Ice Restaurant

Located on Berkeley Street, this restaurant was a great place to start my weekend in Boston! My cousin came down from Maine to go to dinner and a movie with me and she took me here to eat. I loved the feel of the restaurant and the way that it functioned. You pick out all of the ingredients that you want (any kind of pasta, meat, vegetables, grains, anything you could think of!) for your dish, put them in a bowl, then pick out any kind of sauce or seasonings that you want, put them in a separate bowl, then give them to the cooks working in the big circle grill in the middle of the restaurant to cook up for you! And you could go back for as much food as you want. The food was delicious and so was the dessert! 

On Location Tours: Boston TV and Movie Sites

If you ever wanted to see the city of Boston and all of it's TV and movie history, On Location Tours is definitely for you. It is about a 3 hour bus tour that goes all around Boston to all of the sites of your favorite movies or TV series. The tour guides really know what they are talking about, and they take you to the famous L Street Tavern for some mid-tour drinks! Since I was only in Boston for a short amount of time, I felt like I got to see a good portion of the city because of this tour. They also host their tours in New York City! Visit http://onlocationtours.com/tour/boston-tv-movie/ to book your tour today!

Boston Common

I had one morning where I was free, so I decided to take a stroll through the snowy Boston Common. Boston Common is the oldest park in the country and is where the Freedom Trail starts (while I did not get a chance to actually walk the Freedom Trail, I heard it's great especially if you're a history fanatic). The park is beautiful and a lovely touch of greenery in the city. It was great to be able to explore the park on my own before spending the next two days in conference sessions.

Our Lady Of Victories Church

This church was one of the most beautiful churches I have ever been in. I went to mass here on Saturday evening and was in awe when I walked in. From the outside, the church doesn't look like much, it almost blends in with the other houses around it. But once you get inside it is amazing. Every little detail is unique and makes the church beautiful. This church is tucked away on Isabella Street and is definitely worth a visit.

Winsor Dim Sum Cafe

In the heart of Chinatown on Tyler Street, is some of (in my opinion) the best dim sum you can get in Boston! Oh, and it's super cheap too! Myself and 3 of my roommates went out to Winsor one night, ordered a bunch a food, and the bill all together was only $40 with tip. How incredible is that?! I highly recommend.

Trident Booksellers & Cafe

If you love food and books, this is the place for you. Trident is a book store inside a cafe. It was so nice to eat while being surrounded by thousands of books! While waiting for your table you can browse around for your favorite book upstairs and downstairs. If you ever get the chance to visit Trident, I recommend getting a freshly squeezed lemonade and the deluxe grilled cheese (yes, it is as good as it sounds). This book cafe is on the enchanting Newbury Street in the Back Bay area of Boston.

Picco Restaurant

A pizza place like no other! In the South End on Tremont Street, Picco has some of the best, most unique pizza I've ever had (and I'm a New Yorker!). If you want a pizza with a bunch of delicious toppings and a super crispy crust, go to Picco!!! They also have a large selection of beer and wine. Oh and they make their homemade ice cream right in the back of the restaurant! I found it was a super unique twist on normal pizza and ice cream. Next time I'm in Boston again I will definitely be back for some delicious food and dessert!

And there you have it! I loved the time that I spent in Boston, and these places and experiences just made it even better. If you have ever been to Boston, what are some of your favorite places to enjoy the city?!