I believe this discussion can be argued to be the subject of priorities, based on an individual's choice. Are your traveling for the right reasons? Because I can argue that if culture, learning, growing and experience were your priority in travel, then you would obviously not be worried about luxury or amenities. If you're simply looking to get away from home and are in search of a vacation, then luxury may be your goal – share your thoughts in the comments section below...

     I walked down a weaving stone path in the medieval town of Edinburgh, Scotland. My mouth watered as I was in search of the famous local Italian market, the Valvona & Crolla. I bypassed charming historic stone cottages and whimsical mom and pop shops, until I found myself staring upward at cluster of tall modern buildings. There were business men at work in these buildings, toiling trouble and plotting the eventual world take over, no doubt. As the road curved and my jaunt slowed and I searched step by step for safe footing, my eyes caught sight of a large roundabout intersection and a pile of stores lining each side of the street; I continued forward. Trying to take in each sight, sound and interesting detail, I mistakenly passed by my targeted destination. Once I realized this, I looked back and began to jog, backtracking to the light grey storefront. Painted above the doorway were the words “Valvona & Crolla, established 1934.” My heart leapt and my stomach gave me a lustful growl.

     First of all, I want to take a bow at Brandon’s work on this blog. It is inspiring and makes me want to jump into these boots that were made for walking! Brandon and I met each other in a cozy pub in Ireland, the one he describes in his article as “A perfect pint and perfect night in Doolin”. He asked me if I would write about safe traveling from a woman’s point of view. Before I start to tell you about my experiences, there is something important to say: I have travelled around only in Europe, my home continent, so far. I have never experienced a real culture shock, nor have I found myself in a situation where I could not communicate through a (foreign) language. I have read Brandon’s tips to travel safe, and of course all of these are also useful for women. Here, I’d like to give you an insight of my traveling experiences from the last couple of years. 

     Digital detox is when you take some much needed time away from the technological clutter that consumes your everyday life. Think of it as fasting from your phone, computer, and television. It has become somewhat of a cult phenomenon recently, with stories of people successfully unplugging and finding out there’s more to life, and more to socializing with others. For me, personally, I’d love to escape to an electricity-free cabin far away from civilization, where I must fend for myself and live simply, where all I have is a pen and paper to write my memoirs. But what once was a natural trait in all human beings, the ability to live off the land solely from what we grew or gamed, has long gone and nearly everyone in the world would need training to refresh their inner survivalist. I think it would be a life-changing, humbling and self-proving experience to be able to last a week or longer, in the wild, with nothing but a few basic supplies.