A Feminist in Italy: Considering Travel Tips and My Feminist Sensibilities

I was browsing the Journey Woman website last night and found a narrative titled "An American Feminist in Venice..." Carter describes how she gets into a sticky situation with a creepy Italian man on a gondola ride. Essentially, she is forced to retake control of the situation after he has exercised his power to steer their gondola into a secluded area while making lewd suggestions.

This narrative reminded me of an element of women's travel discussions that I consistently have trouble negotiating--safety tips for women who travel solo. I understand the need for safety measures for any traveler (make copies of your passport, don't keep your wallet in your back pocket or purse, etc), but every time I see women centered travel tips that include "dress conservatively" and "don't attract attention" I can't help but be annoyed or at the very least flinch. I constantly struggle with is this a gendered bias or is this an actual safety need or is it both? One such case was with Christine Sarkis article "Ten tips for women traveling alone" on the smarter travel website. While I know she is making great suggestions, I still get annoyed that the notion of researching the culture to figure out the appropriate dress is most often only targeted to women who travel (by the by- kudos to this article for discussing dress as appropriate to the culture and not just cover yourself up girls because it will be your fault if you attract that potential rapist).

How do we negotiate these moments as feminists? I know I can't go to another country and ignore the gender norms and culture of that location without potential unwanted consequences, but if I have to sit in an empty compartment of a train and someone approaches me with unwanted advances - I don't think folks should engage in the victim blaming language of "you should have used common sense."I haven't had the opportunity to travel alone yet, but it's something I've wanted to do for ages. And while I have my concerns about it, my biggest fear is not "what if something happens to me" but "will everyone blame me if something happens to me." Any insight from other feminists?

Taking the Next Step

I feel as if I have become a stereotype. I am now a married woman working in a job in which I have exactly 5 hours of vacation time I can use with a mountain of bills. Everyone seems convinced that I should be focused on reproduction, but all I can think about is how I want to be writing in coffee shops and exploring new areas. My desperation to travel is only getting worse, so I decided to take matters into my own hands and at least take a step in the right direction. 

Soooo I have done two things. The first is that I am volunteering for Hosteling International. My first day will be tomorrow and I am both excited and nervous. Two Monday nights a month I will be going to their DC hostel after work to cook dinner for travelers. What if I am so awkward they ask me never to come back? What if I get lost and get there really late? What if I ruin the pasta? Not sure how I would manage that second one, but you never know. For those of you in that same “I’m stuck here for now” boat, I thought this would be a great way to at least get back one of the wonderful things I miss about traveling—getting to know folks from different places and walks of life. I was actually surprised by how many volunteer options HI has all around the US. Other volunteer options included giving tours, organizing activity nights, and some locations even offer the opportunity to teach travel classes. I fully encourage any lover of travel to consider them as a place to volunteer.

The second thing I’m doing is much more exciting even if success is improbable. This month I am going to work on a submission for the World Nomads travel scholarship. My wonderful husband told me about it and I am excited at the possibility of spending time in China with the intent of being a travel writer. It’s a long shot, but at least I feel like I’m doing something to change my non-itinerant status in life. I am open to suggestions on what else I could do, so if you have any tips please share!