Nomad Spotlight: Lindsay from One Girl Wandering

Interviews
Written By Kelsey Reaves

This week, we sat down with travel writer and creator of the One Girl Wandering blog, Lindsay.

Lindsay specializes in solo travel for women who are looking to maximize their budget and PTO. Lindsay is passionate about encouraging women to step outside their comfort zone and explore the world on their terms.

In our interview, Lindsay talks about what inspired her to start solo traveling, the advice she has for other women, and what her plan is for life post-covid.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do

I am a travel writer and content creator based in Austin, TX. I love to encourage and educate women on how to discover their strength and independence through exploring the world. Absolutely love trip planning - making the most out of vacation time and travel budgets is my specialty. I believe that solo travel is an important tool for self care and can put you back in touch with your independence, critical thinking, and give you an overall sense of empowerment that you can then carry on into your everyday life.

What inspired you to start solo traveling?

I actually didn't start traveling until I was in my 30s. It's probably going to sound silly, but a few years ago I was in a spin class and the instructor was saying how growth doesn't come from comfort zones. And I was at a pretty comfortable place in my life and I realized I had stopped growing. So I thought about what would be the most uncomfortable thing I could do and for me, that was being alone in a foreign country.

So I booked my first solo trip, kind of went all out on it, and did a 10-day trip to three European countries. I ended up really enjoying my time traveling solo, and what I thought was going to be a one-time challenge to myself ended up just being the start of this journey.

We’re obsessed with your blog (and Instagram!) - how long have you been working on it?

Onegirlwandering.com has been around for just over two years. I had friends and family who encouraged me to start a blog and I decided to go for it. It's definitely been a learning process, building and maintaining a blog and showing up regularly for my audience has been quite a bit of work but it's also been very rewarding.

If someone is considering solo traveling for the first time, what’s one piece of advice you’d give them?

You don't need to go big on your first solo travel trip. I happened to be a little crazy and decided to go to Europe, but you don't need to get on a plane in order to experience the benefits of traveling by yourself. You can take a weekend trip to a town nearby, you can take yourself out to dinner, you can even do a day trip to someplace you haven't been before. All of these are just as valid of an experience as getting on a plane to travel solo. 

Any apps or communities you recommend for female travelers to download or join?

I am a part of a couple of Facebook groups that are centered around female travel. One of them is Girls Love Travel. It's probably the largest female travel group on Facebook. The other is Women Who Travel, which is actually run by Conde Nast Traveler. Both of them are excellent groups both for getting advice on travel, destinations, and inspiration.

What are your travel plans post-covid?

Go everywhere! While it has been nice to explore more of my hometown of Austin and my home state of Texas, I really miss being on a plane and immersing myself in a destination that's very different from my everyday life. If I had to name destinations, Japan is my favorite place to visit. I can't wait to go back. And I would love to reschedule my trip to Australia. Australia is my last continent and I was supposed to go for my birthday last year, but obviously that was cancelled. 

What’s your response to someone who says “[insert country] is too dangerous for women to travel to”?

One, I would say look up the travel alerts that other countries have for your own. I think you would be surprised to find out the opinion that other countries have of your home country. The second thing I would say, and this is something I tell myself regularly, is that there are women all over the world who are living their lives in these countries just fine. I also believe that singling out women oh, and saying that a place is too dangerous for them, really undermines how capable women truly are.

But I would also give the practical advice to make sure that you are doing your due diligence and your research when you're choosing a destination so that you aren't deliberately putting yourself in harm's way. I frequently check the state department website, talk to friends who have been there before, and just do a little bit of research about where I'm planning to go.

We’re fans of travel uniforms here. What’s your go-to uniform?

I definitely have a uniform for when I'm flying or now driving somewhere. I absolutely love the On the Fly pants from Lululemon. They are super comfortable, they look like regular pants but have that legging material, and best of all they have pockets.

I also will wear layers when I'm on a plane, usually a tank top under a long sleeve shirt. And then finally I wear a scarf or a pashmina because it can double as a little pillow, a blanket, etc. I also will typically wear all black because I have a tendency to spill food on myself!

Finally, what’s some advice you have for other nomads?

I have always found that maintaining a schedule helps keep me on track. Not just with my work, but also to make sure that I am enjoying myself when I'm traveling. It's important to have that balance when you're on the road. My schedule might not look the same every single day but I know that I'm making time to complete the tasks that need to happen but also take advantage of where I am in the world.

Kelsey Reaves
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