The world is teeming with good people. Teeming! They’re out there- chilling in the tiny towns, bustling about big cities, frolicking in the countryside… ok, that’s enough. My point is: there are heaps of good people and you can find them in all of Earth’s nooks and crannies.
But- it’s not always easy to connect with them.
Not from thousands of miles away at least. And especially not for solo female travelers who may (understandably) be a bit wary of traveling alone in the first place.
That’s why I love getting behind people who are encouraging, empowering, and overall making it easier, for women to get out on their own. Because I know how much it has catapulted my own life to a place I would have never thought I would reach.
Maxine Outerbridge is one of those kickass people inspiring wannabe women travelers. She’s an incredibly inspiring young woman (click here to read her story), whose app — Bungee Girl — is doing all the right things to help make solo female travel less scary, and more realistic, for girls around the world.
Two years ago I set off by myself for the first time (uh hello, time? where’d you go?) but before I left, I was barely sleeping. I would lay awake at night with anxiousness vibrating through my body.
For other people that nervousness can be much worse- for some, it can be incapacitating.
& that’s exactly the problem Bungee Girl is trying to solve.
Instead of connecting you with a stranger’s couch, Bungee Girl introduces you to other women in your position. Even better, it connects you with girls who are looking to take the same trip you are; but in reverse.
If you’re headed to Paris, connect with a Parisian headed to your city. If you’re after the local’s favorite place to get cannoli in Rome, or a good cafe with wifi in New York City, or if you just want to know you have a friend waiting for you in Hong Kong… You get the picture. It’s the kind of stuff you can’t easily google, and the peace of mind that helps you click “purchase” on that flight.
And I really want you to book that flight or plan out that road trip. I need you to.
Because best case scenario, you wind up like me: still on the road years later, the happiest you’ve ever been, following dreams you never realized you had, and answering more questions about yourself, and the world, than you even knew to ask.
That’s why I respect Maxine- she’s created a powerful tool that supports women in traveling. And, in doing so, she’s connecting people from around the world, fostering independence, and providing keys to unlock the parts of cities that wouldn’t otherwise be available without a local’s help.
This is what I’m most addicted to about traveling: gaining real knowledge about different cultures, and better understanding who I am as a person — Moreso, learning how to be a better person– and that is all thanks to the people I’ve met, the novel situations I’ve come across, the vulnerability of it all.
People help people. It’s a common theme of travel you come to recognize pretty quickly.
When you find yourself being shown overwhelming kindness- the sort that confuses your typical understanding of intrinsic motivation- you’ll question where these incredible souls have been hiding. The answer is, they’re the travelers too. Because they get it. You’ll meet them once you get out of your comfort zone, whatever or wherever that may be.
And it seems like a bunch of them are waiting to be found on Bungee Girl, so I’d strongly suggest downloading the app here, ya know, if women empowering women is something you’re all about.
Do you know of any other awesome apps or sites to help/inspire solo girls to travel? Please share below if so.. spread the love. ❤️
Originally published at owentheglobe.com on March 28, 2017.