Bond is the Gutsy Traveler. "Marybeth Bond is the nation’s preeminent travel expert on women and family travel — no other author, journalist or media personality brings her prodigious experience and expertise to the page, the screen, the podium or the airwaves. As a dynamic travel author and woman speaker, she offers a truly unique perspective providing insider’s tips, advice and stories." -Her Website, Gutsy Traveler Bond has published numerous books, and has been featured on Oprah. For me she has been a source of great inspiration while I've been in Australia.
In my travel journal there is a great quote by Bond regarding traveling alone:
"What's so great about it (traveling alone)? The responses of addicted solo travelers will vary: to experience the world unfiltered by anyone else's perspective, to live intensely, to meet people more easily and be invited into their homes more readily, to avoid a difficult travel companion, to get in touch with oneself." -Marybeth Bond
I wanted to post about this quote for a couple of reasons. First of all, before I left for Australia and upon learning that I was headed there on my own, people often asked me, "but why would you want to go alone?" Before going and experiencing a big journey on my own I couldn't purely say, but my response was always something along the lines of wanting to gain a new perspective of the world while out on my own and to engage in a new culture while on my own. Studying abroad in Australia was something I wanted to do on my own for myself.
Now that I have been abroad and on my own for half a year I can answer the "why would you want to go alone" question much more soundly. Reflecting on Bond's quote I am in total agreement. For me traveling alone is so great because of the thrill of the unknown, figuring things out by myself, being independent, living intensely, and getting in touch with myself on a new and deeper level.
This trip has been so amazing. I am so glad I was able to make it happen.
-Amanda
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