interview by Prime Sarmiento
 
  This is a slightly different Q & A post for The Gypsygals. I interviewed Brooke Ferguson, location-independent entrepreneur who's now based in Thailand. I e-mailed Brooke earlier asking her why some women are reluctant on traveling alone. Brooke, who has a different experience as a a woman traveling on her own,turned the question on its head. For Brooke, the question should be, why women shouldn't be afraid to travel on their own.
 
Q: Why do women need not be afraid of traveling on their own?
 
A: Sometimes in life, our fears get in the way of doing what we really want. We might have a goal in life… to see the world, to climb a mountain, to start a business. But at first, that goal seems insurmountable. What I'd like to talk about today are two things: One, getting over your fear, and two, putting yourself first.
In the beginning, when we think about our fear, one important thing to distinguish is this: is it fear, or is it excitement? Before I travel, I get a nervous twinge in my belly. My stomach lifts to my throat and I can't even feel my feet! But, I look at that as excitement. I can differentiate between the two because it is something I want. It just feels a little bit scary because it is new.
 
  Maybe you want to travel, or want to travel on your own…but you are nervous. I would recommend you realize that this fear could just be excitement in disguise, and utilize that energy to start moving towards your fears. Traveling alone can be very exciting. You meet more people when you are on your own, you can stay or go at your leisure, and your schedule is entirely up to you. It is very freeing and liberating!
If you are new to solo travel, I would recommend you read this post: Traveling Solo, Going it Alone. I've been doing solo travel for many years, and I've outlined some tips and tricks to find your rhythm, set your pace, and meet other interesting and inspiring people.
 
  Next, as females, we tend to put our hopes and dreams behind that of others. What I mean is this: society molds us to find a career, find a husband, make a family, and take care of them. With this model, we are always searching for something, or trying to take care of something. The problem with this is that we do not put ourselves first–or focus on our own needs, wants, or goals above what society tells us we should do.

  And our byproduct is that we end up in situations where we are taking care of everybody else, and putting ourselves last.
This simply needs to change! Personally, I have broken all of these societal rules in order to find what makes me happy. If you have a wish to travel, or do something new in your life, Do It. Stop waiting for permission, approval, or someone to support you or go with you. Just Go.
 
You will begin to experience true joy in your life the moment you consistently put yourself first, and go for your dreams.
 
  Something else I'd like to touch on is that the Travel Bug isn't something that goes away. If you are the adventurous type, you know that the more you travel, the more you will Want To Travel!
 
  I spent the first ten years of my career life battling out this scenario: How can I travel, do what I love, and have a career? If you want to make a long-term commitment to an amazing lifestyle and career you can have from anywhere in the world, check out my free eBook where I outline how you can have it all… and keep traveling!
 
  As women, we need to start challenging the rules and step out of the box. We can live exciting, adventurous, and successful lives. We just need to turn that fear into excitement and start making plans for it to happen.
 
  The easiest and best way to set a travel plan is to Just Buy A Ticket. Then, you will go! I did this on my last trip to Bali. My friends were delaying plans, trying to reorganize and save here and there. What did I do? I Just Bought A Ticket. And, I went! I was there on my own, and those people stuck behind trying to plan are still there, planning.
 
Life is too short to keep putting yourself last. Get out there, get over your fears, put yourself first, and enjoy the adventure!
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Brooke Ferguson specializes in helping business owners determine the lifestyle of their dreams and help you to go global, or work from anywhere in the world. You can get in touch with her via Business Backpacker.