I’ve traveled solo to over 12+ countries across four continents over the last 10 years. For many, traveling alone, especially as a woman, is incredibly daunting and the fear of it holds you back from taking that step into what could be a life-changing adventure.

In my opinion, solo travel is one of the best things you can do for yourself. So, if you’re planning a solo trip for the first time or you’ve gone on a few but are looking for ways to improve your experience, here are a few tips I’ve learned over the years to help you become a solo traveling guru.

I’m a massive proponent of solo travel, for both yourself and your existence in the world (because after you solo travel, you’re life, how you see it, and how you treat others will never be the same - I swear it). That being said, there are some realities to solo travel that personally, I think aren’t talked about as much as they should be. I’ve compiled the below list of seven realities that I’ve found true over 10+ years of solo traveling.

I said it in a previous post, but if I had to lose either my wallet or my phone while traveling? Take my money. I’ve compiled a list of my favorite travel apps for my people who are either new to traveling, don’t do it often, or are simply always looking for any app that makes a trip just a little less stressful.

I’ve been traveling solo for over ten years now, so I figured I’d offer some tips and tricks I’ve collected along the way. Though most of these are especially relevant if you’re traveling solo as a female, many are applicable regardless of your sexual identity.

I’ve done cooking classes all over the globe, from Argentina to Italy, Indonesia to Scotland, anywhere from afternoon activities to six-week certificate courses. If there is one thing I love to do when traveling, it’s a cooking class. Since I want everyone to experience the joy of cooking while traveling I’ve put together this list of things to look out for, questions to ask, or things to be conscious of, in advance of choosing a course.