I recently came back from Praiano (Almafi Coast, Italy) and on day 2 I ventured away from the fab hotel (Hotel Angelina, highly recommended) to spend half a day on a rocky beach, all by myself. It was a very secluded spot and I literally saw 1 person walk by the entire time. I actually fell asleep for a good hour or two but I actually never felt safer in my life.

I make most of the trips solo; the trip across Canada I did with my best friend (also female) and I did a trip from Texas-Calnifornia with another friend. But every trip between Los Angeles and San Francisco is solo, and a lot of trips between Seattle and Vancouver were solo.

I don’t have a picnic in the middle of the woods I use public rest stops and there are always people around so I never question my safety. If something seems shady or uncomfortable, I drive off. And when I travel to Europe, that’s all solo, too, and always has been. So it’s not a matter of being female or alone, just about being smart about it.

The reason I am asking is that as a single independent girl myself, I am having a rather difficult time imagining a young pretty girl having a picnic by herself in the middle of the woods in Seattle somewhere…. It’s a safety factor for me. Or lack thereof… Please elaborate.