Solo traveller Gill Easedown encourages women to “feel the fear and do it anyway” because if there’s one thing she is sure of, she doesn’t need a man to hold her hand.
Gill Easedown (77) is a retired English lecturer from Alsager, who first started solo travelling in her 60s.
“I didn’t do any solo travel until after I was retired. This was the first time I had the money and time to travel as I wanted to. However, a lot more women seem to be inclined to travel alone when they’re younger now, which is fantastic”.
Gill’s motivation for her first solo trip came from the fact that she simply didn’t have a travel partner.
“It was always the same thing, my partner didn’t want to travel, friends weren’t available or didn’t want to do the same thing I wanted to, the way I wanted to do it. It gets to a point where you have to say to yourself, I can either stay at home and get fed up, or I can push myself out of my comfort zone and go on my own.”
The first place Gill visited alone was Nice.
“I don’t need a man to hold my hand”
“I’d been several times, so I was confident with the area and getting around. I think for first-time solo travellers that are slightly apprehensive, starting with somewhere you’re familiar with is always a good idea. Then once you’re confident you can get a bit more adventurous.”
Since testing the waters in Nice, Gill has travelled solo to Dubai, Iran, China and Madrid.
“Very often people will say to me, I wouldn’t do that if I were you, or, isn’t your husband going with you?”
“As women, we need to start saying to ourselves, and other people, I’m just as capable as any man, and I can do it on my own.”
Gill lives by the motto “feel the fear and do it anyway”. Which comes from a feminist novel by Erica Young, Fear of Flying. The novel was a literary catalyst for the second-wave feminist movement in the 1970s.
“I think a lot of the time women are more inclined to be fearful or are told that they should be fearful. I love this quote because it reminds me that I should never be held back by my gender and that I don’t need a man to hold my hand.”
In contrast to what society says about a woman’s capabilities, Gill talks about the strengths she didn’t even realise she had until she travelled alone. Specifically, a woman’s ability to empathise with and understand other women, no matter where in the world.
“Solo travel is about being brave, and just going for it.”
“One of the most incredible experiences I had whilst travelling solo was in Iran when I met some women who were part of a Nomad tribe called the Qashqais.”
The tribe had just set up a new encampment for the summer in the mountain area. The family were yet to unpack, so they sat on carpets laid over bare earth. Later the tent would be decorated, and fabric and carpet would hang from the walls. Outside the tent, the family kept flocks of goats and hens.
The Nomadic women showed Gill around their camp and invited her in for tea.
“One of the women had a toddler. We connected over simple things, talking about the baby, motherhood and their lifestyle. I think if this had been a
man, he couldn’t have done this in the same way. He wouldn’t have even been allowed in the women’s tent.”
When planning to travel solo as a woman, Gill’s main advice is to research where you
want to go as much as possible. In particular, what life is like for women in that country.
“Iran is very much a male society, but this means women are treated with a certain amount of respect. Iranian women are incredibly strong and hospitable. At one point a man walked past my guide and touched her, and she ran after him and kicked him.
“Iran doesn’t get many Western visitors, so women would ask for photographs wit
h me which was very funny. One woman even asked if I would have some English conversation with her daughter, who was trying to learn the language.”
Gill believes travelling alone was the reason for some of her best experiences because it pushed her out of her comfort zone, allowing her to connect with women around the globe.
The thought of having to overcome obstacles with no one to fall back on but yourself might sound terrifying, but Gill says the experience was an eye-opening one. Although, she admits she has had a few scary incidents.
“I nearly fell for the infamous tea shop scam whilst travelling in Shanghai.”
After a long day of exploring, Gill was lured into a tea shop where she only ordered a coffee. But when the bill came the owner demanded Gill pay an extortionate price for the use of the room.
“Although I was aware of the scam, I was tired and didn’t think. However, once I realised what was happening I was firm with the owner and made sure she knew I wasn’t falling for it. I paid for my coffee and left, but on the inside, I was terrified they might come after me.”
Gill advises that as long as women are sensible and vigilant, the overall experience of solo travel will always be worth it.
“It’s little things like working out the Metro in a foreign country or finding your way back to your hotel when you don’t speak the language. You get to feel proud of yourself, and find strengths you never knew you had.”
“As women, we need to stop waiting for permission, or for someone to come with us. Solo travel is about being brave, and just going for it.”
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