Author: Angela Neatby
Get Ready
Get ready. There are going to be a lot of people who are going to be "afraid for you".
You will encounter a lot of worried looks and crumpled brows. "You're going to do it...ALONE???" they ask. "You're going to go ALL THAT WAY by YOURSELF???".
One of my biggest fears when planning a long solo journey on my bike is not the worry of getting a flat tire, or hills I might encounter, or dangerous situations along the way...my biggest fear is the inevitable comments I will have to endure BEFORE I embark on the journey.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" YES!
That's why it's ALL I think about!
I often wonder that if I were a man in this position, would they ask the same questions - or would they ENCOURAGE me and call me an athlete?
Travelling solo as a woman is scary yes! Doing anything is scary! Driving around the city is more dangerous but you do it all the time!!
When I cycle down long highways for days on end I allow my mind to heal. To heal from the chaos of a scheduled life. I allow inner peace to flow.
These trips are a meditation for me and sometimes I wish I never had to come back home. That sense of freedom is priceless and necessary for personal growth and knowing oneself. Going through the pain that results from the intense 150km days of cycling is a cleansing experience and makes me a stronger woman.
Escaping the chatter and bullsh*t of city life is like shedding old skin and allows you to see your world as it should be seen...and you'd all be surprised at the colours!
If you are a female and are thinking of planning a lengthy solo trip - be it hiking, kayaking or cycling - get ready to face the worry warts. That has always been my biggest problem.
It's wonderful to be loved but I think that sometimes these people don't realize that although they feel they SUPPORT independent women and their endeavors they are in fact, doing a detriment to us as a sex by acting as though we might not be capable of "pulling it off".
Reporting back to loved ones who care about you is one thing...they love you and would be devastated if anything happened to you. But the occasional discouraging words not only from men, but from other women are what's problematic here.
Women who are full of self-doubt and fear that they could "never do that" or that they would be afraid. That's what's got to change.
That conditioning has got to be erased.
