Solo women travellers from Jaipur share the satisfaction and joy that travelling alone brings home, despite the roadblocks
A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction - "Virginia Woolf
Back in the last century, Virgina Woolf stressed upon the need for women, writers specifically, to have a room of their own. It wasn’t just physical space she was talking about. Now, more women are discovering this ‘space’ with their own ventures, even solo travel. While groups of women globetrotting together has been quite the trend for a while, some Jaipur women are taking up solo travel to explore unseen destinations and touch newer horizons. Now who’s afraid of boredom when the world has so much to offer? And unlike in case of Woolf’s advice on fiction, they may not even need a lot of money for the same. Solo travelling offers time to ‘be yourself’, explore your inner self and bring your energies to positive use. AFTERhrs spoke to a few women from the city, who shared stories of their solo travels and of the sheer happiness they have returned with.
Making memories
The first thing that all these travellers realised on travelling alone is being comfortable with themselves. “The roads might not always be as rosy and the beds are almost never cosy. But all hurdles you’ll face as a traveller alone, with no one to have your back but yourself, is what will make great stories of adventure on your way back home. You’ll truly learn, to fend for yourself, to move out of your comfort zone and make the first move, to embrace the uncertainty and to be responsible on your own; and with it will follow the feeling of independence and empowerment that you were looking for,” shares Twinkle Sethi, event manager. “Solo travelling is known to be enriching and liberating. Not because it comes with picture perfect moments, but because you battle your fears and be brave enough to fight everything that comes your way,” she adds.
Lost and found at the same time
Travelling solo is a life changing experience, a feeling of power, fulfillment and achievement. “Solo travelling gives me a felling of being lost and yet be found at the same time. It gives me the opportunity to travel anywhere, anytime without waiting for others to manage their time accordingly for a group trip. I never have an excuse to not travel anymore and I am always ready to travel at the drop of a hat,” says Neeru Saluja, professor, who has travelled to 65 countries so far. “I have travelled to places like Kailash Mansarovar and have also done various treks,” she added.
Exploring all by yourself
Travelling also educates and liberates. “I have been travelling solo for years. The only reason why I started travelling solo is because I wanted to explore what the universe had to offer to me. I wanted to question my own beliefs and leave my comfort zone,” shared Nimisha Verma, a traveller. The 22-year-old girl loves cities as they have a mystical history and lots of stories. “I make sure that I don’t just visit any city for a day or two. I stay for long. I stay long enough to become a part of the city and know it’s people and not just the sunset and sunrise points. So far, I have travelled all of Rajasthan, almost all main cities of Gujarat, Bombay, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Rourkela, Delhi, Gwalior, Chandigarh, Sikkim, Indore, Pune, Naggar, Diu. Next month, I am travelling to Kolkata, Chennai and Kerala,” she added.
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