The Curse of Oversharing

I travel a lot. On purpose. I incorporate it in work and play and because I'm committed to exploring the world, I can't always count on having a travel bud with me. I leave when the opportunity arises and if I must fly solo, then it is so. The first time I went on a solo travel I was just fifteen but my parents were adventurers themselves and had taken a few precautions to make sure I had contacts where I was going... but I was alone and they prepped me as best they could, telling me how to keep safe and aware. The biggest takeaway was a word from my mother who, although protective, knew that this was an important learning lesson. She looked at me and said, "Show me what I've taught you." That was all I needed.

And although I've learned that the world has more goodness than the news would have us believe, it's still not wise to be reckless... Especially as a woman, a solo woman, and one who presents herself like I do. I've learned how to meet people and have great conversations & relationships while keeping my boundaries in the name of safety. But I still see too many people oversharing on the regular without realizing how much private info they're giving potential predators. When it happens, I turn into the global population's older sister and share unsolicited advice like this:

I recorded this in January while roaming a gorgeous beach in Tenerife. An all too friendly dude was trying to get to know me and although I wasn't interested, he didn't deserve to be rudely told off. So I made it clear I was perfectly content hanging out alone. (This is a skill many guys may not understand, but the fact of the matter is that a woman must learn how to reject men firmly while trying not to provoke a backlash of insults and/or violence. Yes this is common.) This is again, why I share these types of tips as a proverbial older sister who believes that we should adventure when we want freely but not recklessly. sigh Short story long, my feat was victorious and then I celebrated with solo selfies. Enjoy!