The Art of Solo Travel – Book Review

I’ve traveled solo since day one and don’t think it’s any big deal. I am a loner, and it’s the only way to go for me. But to hit the road alone or not to hit the road alone is a decision some weigh very carefully before buying the airplane seat next to no one in particular. In her new e-Book The Art of Solo Travel, Stephanie Lee gives the hesitant, thinking-about-it solo traveler some good information – from how to save for a long-term trip to a glimpse into areas she feels solo travel for females is most and least comfortable. Stephanie wrote this book in order to share her story of her solo venture.

Living in three countries – Malaysia, the U.S., and Australia – in fewer than three decades didn’t give Stephanie a sense of this is good enough. Instead, it seems that her experiences with different cultures ramped up her desire to explore even more of the world. At 28 years of age, she sold her house, her car and most of the rest of her possessions and left Sydney, Australia to see what the world had not yet shown her. “Along the way,” she writes, “I realised that I had become quite good at travelling by myself.” The Art of Solo Travel was born.

Stephanie begins her book with a seven-point definition of “The Un-Average Girl,” who possesses “the essential ingredients for adventure.” I found her criteria to be 100% spot-on as I checked off the box next to every quality she lists. She goes on to list for potential solo travelers some real advantages and disadvantages to weigh before they take the leap into traveling abroad alone. She also provides useful details on how to save money for your solo travels and shares with readers how much she spent and on what she spent it.

I was very impressed with Stephanie’s quite specific advice on how to navigate air travel as well as how to couch surf comfortably and happily. Such detail would have been useful in other sections of her book; for example, in her too-brief look into travel insurance. This level of detail was a little too much in other areas, though, specifically her list of items to pack. She did provide one bit of advice I’d never heard before and which I think is excellent: scan all important documents before departing and e-mail them to yourself in case you ever need them. This tip left me wanting to purchase a scanner.

While on her journey Stephanie realized that she loved where she was living and “missed it like crazy.” She, in fact, returned after six months of travel. Whether she had planned to go home at this time or whether home unexpectedly called her back is not clear. I don’t criticize her for selling her house, car and most everything else before she embarked on her rather short journey, as it was the right choice for her. I’m always a little surprised, though, by the huge number travelers who, like her, rid themselves of everything before hitting the road, even if only for a year. Stephanie sums up her feelings on this topic in a way, though, that gives me a clearer understanding of this decision shared by so many. “I wanted to leave everything behind, not only physically but also mentally.” Now, that makes sense.

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Thumbnail walking photo by artwork_rebel