This post is specifically for the gals.
If you are still reading this, then I am sure you hear this all the time: it is just not safe because you are a girl.
That is just not fair. You should not be limited in what you do just because you are a girl.
When I started telling people that I was going to take this trip with my sister, people thought I was insane. Some of the responses I got were:
“Why don’t you just take a road trip for a weekend to somewhere local?”
“It is just not safe, there is no way you are going.”
“Why can’t you just be normal?”
There were plenty more negative responses, and some hurt more than others. These were people I cared a lot about telling me I just couldn’t do that. Let’s remember my sister and me had wanted to do this since I was about 12 years old.
We obviously did it anyways. And it was a blast, we did do some things differently though due to the fact that we are girls. I would highly recommend these safety tips, but everyone is different so only do what you are comfortable with.
- Be aware.
Very basic and honestly everyone (guy or gal) should do this. Keep an eye out for your surroundings. If you don’t feel comfortable somewhere, then you should listen to your gut and leave.
- Avoid sketchy situations.
Again, pretty obvious. Make sure that you are not exploring dark alleys at night. There are other types of sketchy situations, but you need to make the call on a case by case basis of what you feel comfortable with.
- Be prepared.
Try to drive a reliable car. Some basic knowledge on how to fix a car if something goes wrong. Always fill up well before empty, gas can be hard to come by in extremely remote places.
- Bring safety stuff.
This is very broad, but I am talking about pepper spray and things like that. Not that you’ll need it but it is nice to be prepared. We brought these sound grenades. They had the dual purpose of scary people or bears away according to the packaging. We never even came close to using them though.
- Listen to yourself
Chances are that if you are in a bad situation, you will know that. Just remember to listen to the things you are picking up on. Don’t ignore your feelings, act on them. This is the most effective way to keep yourself safe.
I hope this helps! If you have any other tips, I would love to hear about them.
