The Open Road

Category: Rein on All Fronts Rein on All Fronts
Published: 26 September 2023 26 September 2023

Rein on All Fronts
By Charles Rein

Tomorrow, September 27, is World Tourism Day, and ironically I'm feeling a bit lethargic -AKA stuck in my easy chair. So here's a lazy writer's technique- two paragraphs, from a past article of mine regarding different communications styles. (Dated June 2021.) In that article, I jokingly borrowed seven sentences from a Florida author- 'Dave Barry's Only Travel Guide You'll Ever Need.'

"Let's look at the perceived danger through two different lenses, using travel, for existence. For example, are you more comfortable booking a hotel two months early and from the comfort of your bathroom? Or could you arrive late at night in a strange city and feel confident that you could find an inexpensive hotel, not currently occupied by the Hell's Angels biker gang?"

"I realize not everyone likes to plan every step of a vacation trip. Some people would rather just grab a backpack, a sleeping bag, stick out their thumb and start hitchhiking down the highway, not knowing 'what's around the bend.' Most of these people are dead within the hour. So planning is definitely the way to go."

The rest of that article, most of my readers couldn't care less about, wondering instead, "Wait! What really happened to the hitchhiker?" 

Seriously, I'm thrilled to connected with a unique person recently. JA is a global traveler and knows to how to handle herself anywhere in the world! She was kind enough to share over email, that as a single (female) traveler visiting the USA, she had "a fabulous experience driving solo, in a convertible!" She bravely admitted,  "I had a bad experience in San Diego doing couch surfing! I have never spoken about it before..."  Her intriguing comment was shared in such a honest and vulnerable way that I didn't wish to be too inquisitive, but made me secretly want to whisper, "Pssst! Can you PLEASE tell me more?"

If there's enough interest, I might ask her for more details for a follow up story aimed at helpful advice for first time, single travelers.

Regarding her road trip, JA wrote that she advises the philosophy of 'Carpe Diem' but (also as a single female traveler) "be careful. I had a good experience all across Canada and the USA with couch surfing until I got to San Diego."

Least we (yes, JA we're in this together) mistakenly paint the entire city of San Diego with a broad brush of danger lurking everywhere, portraying this beachside city as "the Devil's playground" (my italics not hers) please be aware there are some worthwhile sights to see there, too.   

She wrote that she completed a world tour from 2014 to 2015 explaining, "During that tour I flew into San Francisco, hired a convertible and drove highway 1 all the way to San Diego. There is no better way to do highway one than in a BMW sports car convertible."

Much better than hitchhiking.  I'd love to see your travel IG pics JA.  But returning to the very important topic of female travel safety, since, I'm not a woman, I never honestly looked into it. A helpful female travel blog website, I came across mentioned a few tips:

25 TIPS TO STAY SAFE AS A SOLO FEMALE TRAVELER | HOW I MADE IT OUT ALIVE |

https://heyciara.com/safesolofemaletravel/

RESEARCH BEFORE YOU GO

First learn everything you can about a country before visiting...As a solo female traveler, it’s best to ask other solo female travelers about their experience visiting a country.

BE SMART ON SOCIAL MEDIA

We all love to ‘do it for the gram,’ every once in a while, but you have to be very careful about this when traveling solo. Don’t post in real time – wait until you’ve left a certain location or attraction before posting a photo...You never know who’s watching or following!

KNOW YOUR LIMITS 

We all want to push the limits and step outside of our comfort zone during our travels, but sometimes our bodies can only go so far. Here’s what NOT to do when you’re traveling solo:

Drinking until you can’t stand. Have fun, but make sure you are always aware of what’s happening around you.

Going until you can’t go anymore. We are so excited to be traveling and we often want to go go go...I’ve known several people to end up in the hospital or pass out from sheer exhaustion during their travels. Get the sleep you need!

I'll run these blog suggestions by JA before her next big USA road trip. I'm sure she could definitely give me even more tips...and maybe  a lift? Otherwise, guess I'll just have to rent a car and take Ursula K. Le Guin's words to heart.  Her quote from the book, 'The Language of the Night':

"Great artists make the roads; good teachers and good companions can point them out. But there ain't no free rides, baby.  No hitchhiking.  And if you want to strike out in any new direction--- you go alone.  With a machete in your hand and the fear of God in your heart."

Enjoy "World Tourism Day" everyone.

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