The Passion Of A Wandering Spinster

I never thought I'd live to see the day where I'd feel my twenty-something self was right about something, but here we are.

Like most women, I thought I would've been happily married in my thirties by now, traveling the world with a man who adored me. But about a month before our wedding was going to happen; my partner told me he didn't want to get married and said his ex-wife was the reason. He's too paranoid of getting cheated on again.

And so here we are. I'm still with him, but I accepted I'm never getting married, as my twenty-something self predicted. Even if I wanted to find someone new, no man wishing to get married would buy that I don't want kids.

I'm too lazy to mope about a lost dream. So instead, it's time to revive an idea I had back in my twenties for when the world opens up again. It's time I revived the idea of The Wandering Spinster and make it a reality.

My two favorite things are books and travel, so why not make them into a career?

At twenty-five, I got sick of the life I lived. I still lived with my mom and never had the money for anything. I didn't have the cash to move into my place. I couldn't afford a decent car. I couldn't leave my hometown no matter how hard I tried to find a place that would let me go.

And then, I found a job that let me teach in China, and I took it. For six years, I worked and traveled. I rediscovered my love of reading and fantasized about going to the different places I read about.

Through that, I came up with the idea of The Wandering Spinster. I'd go on trips based on the various books I read and experience the country as it is today. I could write about my experiences and add little videos about my time in the countries. I spent a lot of time in Asian countries to make quite a few stories about my adventures around there!

And then, one day, I ate dinner by myself at a restaurant in Paris. A group of American girls started talking to me, telling me how brave I am for going to Paris by myself.

It hit! Not only could I use The Wandering Spinster as a place for travel stories and videos, but I could make videos and write stories teaching women about traveling solo safely! And then there would be more women like me braving the world on their own!

You don't have to travel with others to enjoy it.

People choose not to travel for two reasons: they don't have the money for it or are waiting too long on their friends to tell them they're coming. So often, our friends ditch us at the last minute, leaving us stranded instead of going. And so many of us are scared of leaving our comfort zones and going somewhere alone. So we remain where we are, afraid of our own shadow.

What if you knew it's possible to travel somewhere safely? What if you knew what to do before you went so you wouldn't fall prey to scams? What if I told you not everyone is out to get you? Would you want to travel the world?

I know I would! And I did! Once the pandemic is officially over, I'm getting on a plane and doing it again. I'm already vaccinated and ready to jump on the next plane to a new country. Once I pay off my college debt, of course! But even then, if I can find a cheap ticket somewhere, I'm going to go!

It's empowering to travel alone. It's a power every woman needs to experience once

From a young age, we get told we can't do much by ourselves. I remember being in my twenties and my mom begging me not to drive somewhere by myself at dusk because it was too dangerous. Even a short five-minute drive isn't good in society.

Society loves to treat women as things that can't be left alone. We get the impression the only things we can do by ourselves is going to the bathroom and bathe, but that disappears if we choose to be parents.

The Wandering Spinster wouldn't be for single women only. Married women, engaged women, and women in relationships can learn the benefits of solitude from this idea. I am in a relationship now, but we've started taking solo trips once a year for each of us. Maybe twice a year if we can get someone to watch his kids twice in a year.

When women have the power and confidence to do things by themselves, they become unstoppable creatures. The Wandering Spinster will be one way for a woman to get up and do what she wants when she wants. Nothing will stand in her way.