Whom We Meet Along the Way

(Original post, and all photos, found at: http://beyondbinaries.org/2013/09/05/whom-we-meet-along-the-way/)

Over the last few years, I’ve managed to circumvent a better part of the world solo. The most frequent question I get as a solo female traveler is this: “Is it safe?” While the answer certainly isn’t universal, largely, I would say ‘yes, it is.” But more importantly than that question is the one most people don’t ask: “What are the advantages to navigating the world as a solo female?”

Over the years, I’ve found one large one – that as a solo female, I am granted access to places most people will never see. Women from many cultures simply couldn’t invite a lone man into their homes or sacred spaces – but they can invite me. As such, I’ve been lucky enough to share intimate, powerful moments with women throughout the world. I’ve been invited to share meals with them on trains, to sleep on their couch at night in their homes, and to listen to their stories, hopes, and aspirations. I’ve been lucky enough to be granted a level of access that I believe my male counterparts would find difficult to achieve.