Strong Woman

#viajosola is the movement empowering women to travel alone. We shouldn’t be afraid to do it or expect bad things to happen. Travel opens us up to the world and its vast possibilities. But with all of the stories about women being harassed and murdered while overseas, it’s easy to see why people get scared.

I was on a bus from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai when a woman sat down next to me. Her name was June and she was born in Thailand but grew up in America. When she heard my story – a uni student doing work experience in Thailand for a month – she had one thing to say: “You are so brave!”

It’s a line that I heard over and over during my trip, “You are such a brave girl! Such a strong woman!”

Truth be told, I wasn’t being brave. Maybe that makes me foolish, but this trip was something I felt I had to do. After reaching the end of my third year of a Journalism/International Relations I was exhausted, confused and feeling slightly disillusioned about why I was doing it in the first place.

So I decided to go on an adventure.

And it was so worth it. Spending a month travelling, writing, meeting incredible people and seeing other cultures reminded me that all I want to do with my life is tell those stories. I am not a strong woman, I am just a woman who did what she had to.

Words and image by Frances L. Early