Wanderlust & Lipstick - Introduction

I was very surprised when I posted about picking a destination to travel alone to clear my head and have an escape came as a strange concept to so many readers. I got tons of comments and quite a few emails asking why I travel this way, do I ever get uncomfortable, is it safe, where do I begin... It got me to thinking. I need to spread the word. Get to inspiring ladies to get out there and explore. Traveling solo can be a scary proposition. Much of this comes from the dire warnings that other people impress upon a would-be traveler, despite the fact that they may have no personal experience from which to base these warnings. I am here to battle these naysayers with the new series - Wanderlust & Lipstick. 

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But where to begin. There are so many tips, tricks and pieces of advice that I think are necessary to share but we gotta get you to want to hit the road first so let's just start here...

5 Reasons To Consider Traveling Solo:

1. Freedom. As a solo traveler, you’re the boss. No coordinating agendas, no arguing over where to eat and when, or going to museums you find boring. Sleep late, skip breakfast, take an earlier train than planned, stop for photos, or hang at a cafe all day. No negotiating or compromising necessary.

2. Approachability. Surprisingly you'll meet far more people when you’re on your own. Having even one travel mate makes you more closed off to the people around you. Alone, not only could you get hit on my the cute locals, but friendly people all around become open to the nice girl exploring the city.

3. Instinct. We all have a certain degree of sixth sense, an instinct telling us the good from the bad good and the bad. Trusting this intuition is critical to having a safe journey. It could tell you to go for it when the cute boy in a coffee shop buys you your second cup or to pass on that knock off purse in a back alley. When traveling alone no one is there to distract us from that sense like a friend all too giddy to make new travel friends or the companion tired and grouchy who will say no to everything.

4. Inner Strength. There are countless rewards to traveling solo. There is such a sense of accomplishment that comes from planning, going and returning from your solo adventure. Little else has ever made me feel so proud of myself and I know you'll feel the same.

5. Experience. The lifelong value of solo adventures is indescribable. You'll forever have stories to tell at parties, things to tell future (or current) children, and a place to in the "girl power" hall of fame.

I hope this empowers, inspires and gets you ready to think about getting out there on your own. Stayed tuned every Thursday for more tips, tricks and advice from me and few special guest travel experts.

And if you've been inspired at any point in the series to plan a solo trip please email me and let me know and don't forget to enter the We Love Colors giveaway.