Traveling alone as a young woman elicits a uniformly horrified response from Peruvian locals. Today a friend’s father asked “aren’t you worried that something will happen and that no one will know?” I really am not. I’ve been on two backpacking trips before, and everywhere I’ve been there have always been locals or fellow travelers to help out those who get unlucky. Alex Harker recently opined on how great it is to travel with someone else, but I’d argue that embarking on a trip solo can be equally, if not more, rewarding. Here’s why.

On my first backpacking trip, a guy I met told me that the three important things that happen while you travel are, in order from least to most important: the places you go, the people you meet, the person you become. The first of these doesn’t necessarily depend on who you travel with, though I will admit that some remote locations are harder to get to and potentially dangerous if you’re alone. This leads to the second part- the people you meet.

Traveling alone means you make friends everywhere you go, and often those temporary friendships become lasting ones. My first trip in Eastern Europe I met a group of people that I traveled with for three weeks, and last summer I met up with one of the girls to backpack through South America. I’m currently on my way from Lima to Buenos Aires all by myself, and I’m coming upon the three week mark. I find this is the time I find my travel groove, and start to really make friends. Just yesterday I met a lovely British girl sleeping in the bunk above me, and we plan to travel together for the next week- something I couldn’t have planned on, but opened myself up to by staying in a large hostel and talking often about my plans and asking others about theirs to suss out if anyone was headed in the same direction as me. Being alone I also tend to meet a lot of other solo travelers, and while this is a huge generalization, I really gravitate towards them because they usually have an interesting life story and a lot of bravery and charm to get them through their travels.

It’s true that when you travel alone you don’t have that constant person to share things with. But it also means you get to act autonomously, do exactly what you want when you want, and still find people to share your experiences with. I know many couples and friendships that have faded because of travel stress, and not getting along with the person you´re traveling with can ruin even the most beautiful place. That rarely happens when I’m alone.

However, traveling alone also means that you have to deal with challenges on your own (like my Peru-Bolivia border nightmare that involved arguing, bribes, and crying to get me to where I was going) and hope others are kind enough to help you (like last week when I fell in Colca Canyon and my trek-mates helped me bandage myself up). These experiences are harder on your own, sure, but they also mean you really engage with the culture, the situation, and your mentality in a way that you aren’t forced to in many other situations.

Don’t get me wrong, I love to travel with others. But I also like to travel alone because even though it can be harder, it can also be a better way to engage with the places you visit and with yourself.

For more information on travelling solo abroad, check out Lauren Foukes’s post “…But Is It Safe?,” John Brandt’s “Going Abroad Alone or With a Group?“, or for recent posts, Kate Bennett’s “‘Lone Travelers’ Part Two: Lone and Liberated!” or Alex Harker’s “Lone Travelers.” Luba Guzei is currently an English teacher with Langrow in Lima, Peru.

I’m trying to squeeze a soccer ball into my backpack. A fully inflated, size-five soccer ball. At the store, this seemed like an entirely reasonable endeavor. Between the soccer ball, books, laptop and hiking boots I have crammed all the sweaters, skirts and collared shirts I’ll need for work. This is before I load my camping gear- and after it’s all crammed in and every zipper is forced shut, my 70 liter pack starts to look like The Hulk, with adjustable straps. It’s getting this monstrosity on your back that is the first, and probably the smallest, challenge to the solo traveler.

Lago Titicaca is just as pretty on your own

Travelling alone is difficult, period. I’ve been graced by travel partners who have only ever made the experience easier and more pleasant for me- and trust me, I do understand what a rarity that is. A travel partner means a fellow map-decipherer, language coach, occasional doctor, and an understands-your-bad-sense-of-humor-and-cultural-references wingman in a foreign land.

A partner make you feel less crazy when you’re trying to explain to your bus driver that you can’t sit on the roof, even if he says he can’t drive that fast through the mountains anyway. Solo travel also costs more- splitting a cab, groceries for dinner, and a room in the hostel is just cheaper. Shoe-string travellers (like myself) can have trouble finding budget options for one. Solo travel can also be lonely and a little unnerving, particularly as a young woman, and no amount of pepper spray and mean steely eyes can make you feel less vulnerable in a country where- let’s face it- you’re at times dependent on others to help you along.

But I have travelled alone in a foreign country- and I have to tell you, I loved (almost) every minute of it. I met more friends than I ever did travelling in groups. Even better, being on my own essentially forced me to practice – and get good – at the local language. I have also met plenty of other solo travelers, many of them young women, who maneuvered through countries with ease and assurance and who found welcoming communities and new friends in the organizations with which they volunteered. So those myths you’ve been hearing- “you’re likely to get mugged,” “you’re probably going to be kidnapped”, or “it’s not safe for a woman to travel alone” – take a breath, and then toss them out the window. If you’re smart, you don’t need them weighing you down.

Still doubtful? For my two months in Guatemala last year, when I was feeling shaky on the solo route, I simply adopted the mantra “Fake it ‘till you make it.” A little confidence (and sneaking guilty peeks at guidebooks when nobody is looking) is all it takes to move comfortably through uncharted waters. One last tip: rather than thinking of yourself as ‘solo,’ ‘alone,’ or a spinster-traveler in the making, own your solo travel! You’re a lone wolf, a stag; independent, unrestricted, and dammit- you’re liberated!

For more information on travelling solo abroad, check out Lauren Foukes’s post “…But Is It Safe?,” John Brandt’s “Going Abroad Alone or With a Group?“, or Alex Harker’s recent post “Lone Travelers.”

Kate Bennett spent several months in Guatemala last year studying nonprofit sustainability and is currently living in New Jersey. To hear more about her experiences in Guatemala or her future plans in Ecuador with the Kiva Fellows Program, check out her blog. This is not is not an official Kiva Fellows blog. The views and information presented are Kate’s own and do not represent the Kiva Fellows Program, Kiva.org, or any of its partner organizations.

A passerby stares as one of Panama City's colorful diablo rojo buses zips by

A rarely heard utterance: “My favorite thing about the city was the buses.”

A Dutch traveler said it to me about Panama City before I left. I inwardly scoffed; she must just think that because they use bikes so much in the Netherlands.

But then I got there, and she’d nailed it. Sorry, Karlijn.

Calling the buses diablos rojos is only partly accurate. Some of these second-hand U.S. school buses are red, sure, but they are also green and purple and pink. They have murals of castles or churches on the front and back. You’ll see paintings of world luminaries ranging from Jesus to Hugo Chavez, with accent designs featuring unicorns playing guitars.

Go inside, and it can be like a dance club or lounge. Samba or reggaeton will pound out of a custom stereo, while red or purple lights set the mood. Streamers are optional but encouraged.

I don’t know if each driver has his own bus customized, a la goalie masks in the NHL, or if they drive whatever bus they get that day. (Drivers aren’t the chatty sort, and it’s tough to find out if a bus is going close to your hostel, let alone delve into its aesthetics and iconography.)

Panama City can stagger the brain of a Latin American traveler. Restaurants touting Lebanese, French, and Thai food can be seen on one city block. Rush-hour traffic jams are choked with luxury cars, and rush hour itself was a concept I’d forgotten. Skyscrapers soar overheard, and where there’s not a skyscraper, there’s probably a crane building one.

In a city that is so developed and modern, it was a relief to see some of the flair and slapdash magic that has given this corner of the world so much of its charm for me.

Kent most recently left his post as an English teacher in Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica and is currently traveling. To see what he’s up to, check out his blog or follow him on Twitter. For more on transportation in Latin America, check out “Day in the Life: Morning Commute“; “An Adventurous Routine“; “Where to Get Off the Bus?“; “Good Travel Karma“; “Traffic Circle from Hell!” and “All-Female Transport in Mexico.”

Greg Mortenson's stomping grounds (via Stig Nygaard/Flickr)

1) Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson: After a hiking accident attempting to reach the summit of K2, the villagers of Korphe in remote, rural Pakistan saved Mr. Mortenson’s life. In return, he promised to build them a school. Thus began an inspiring journey that has changed the assumptions on access to education, the role of women and the ability of foreign NGOs to affect change in one of the conflict hotbeds of the globe.

2) The Places in Between, Rory Stewart. Mr. Stewart had set out to walk across Asia – and then 9/11 and the invasion of Afghanistan were poised to stop him from fulfilling his goal. However, they did not; this book chronicles a man’s chilling solo walk through Afghanistan in 2002.

3) Mountains beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, Tracy Kidder. Tracy Kidder records the life story of Dr. Paul Farmer, an epidemiologist, professor and the Founder of Partners in Health, one of the organizations that has led the charge in the recovery from the earthquake in Haiti and has innovated in the field of community health enterprises and medically-related development work.

4) Leaving Microsoft to Change the World, John Wood. How a personal revelation and the boldness to follow through with it on the part of a former Microsoft employee sparked the foundation of Room to Read and a commitment to children’s access to reading and literature worldwide. Especially good for those contemplating a professional or lifestyle change.

5) Chasing the Flame, Samantha Power. After the Pulitzer-prize winning A Problem from Hell: America in the Age of Genocide, Power focused on the story of Sergio Vieira de Mello, a UN official who served in some of the world’s most treacherous conflict zones. A biography full of reflections on the United Nations, peacekeeping, personal courage, and the dangers of aid work.

6) The Art of Travel, Alain de Botton. Beautiful essay vignettes on why we travel, how we travel, and how it changes us.

7) Travels with Herodotus, Ruszard Kapuscinski. For Kapuscinsci, Herodotus was the “first globalist.” In this book, the author parallels his own journalistic findings on a journey across the world to those of the ancient historian.

Which books do you turn to for inspiration on the road?

Roxanne is currently designing and implementing projects in conflict and post-conflict communities worldwide. For more of her thoughts, follow her on Twitter or visit her blog.

Fortunately, since I’ve been here, I have not run into any problems with my safety.  Of course there are safety concerns, but I thought it would be valuable to dispel some of the myths.

Myth #1:  “It’s not safe for a woman to travel alone.”
The trick to traveling alone is to be smart.  For example, I never ride the bus listening to my iPod.  I haven’t seen a lot of iPods in Ecuador, so using one is a dead giveaway you aren’t from around here.  It also makes you less aware of your surroundings.  Another tip I’ve learned is to always sit in the aisle seat, near the front.  Sitting in the aisle allows you to get up quickly if someone is bothering you and inform the driver if need be.

Myth #2:  “You’re likely to get mugged.”
Again, just because you are a foreign woman, does not mean you have a big target on your back.  The key is to not draw undue attention to yourself.  Don’t wear a lot jewelry or carry flashy purses.  Avoid getting money out of the ATM at night when you’re alone.  If you are lost, try to ask a woman for directions.  And if it’s not necessary to walk home alone – don’t do it!

Myth #3:  “Foreign women are frequently kidnapped.”
I blame this fear on movies like Taken.  There’s no need to smile and carry on with strangers – would you act like that in Detroit?  My aunt always tells me to walk around with a scowl on my face.  Another tip she taught me, is to hold your breath if a stranger comes up to you and tries to put something towards your face (this is how people have gotten drugged).  And of course, don’t make it obvious where you live.

Safety concerns exist for women in South America just like anywhere else in the world.  However, ladies,  if you act smart and know what to be aware of there is no reason to fear travel on this beautiful continent!