THE SOLO TRAVELLER
Your world. Your way.
Point of View
Yvonne on the summit of Roy’s Peak, near Wanaka, New Zealand.
Yvonne Shepherd
Founder, Women’s Fitness Adventures
In 2014, Yvonne had a hunch that there must be more women out there who wanted to try new things in the great outdoors and not be the “newbie”. When she couldn’t find what she was looking for, in terms of hiking skills and fitness for women over 50 like herself, she started her own company. Fast forward 11 years and her business, Women’s Fitness Adventures, and its programs, are changing women’s lives through walking and specifically, preparing women for hiking holidays.
Window or aisle?
Aisle. A few reasons – I can’t sit still and get up and down a lot. I also drink lots of water so need the toilet too! And I don’t like disturbing people, so being stuck in a window seat would mean that and I feel like I am boxed in. Maybe that is the slightly claustrophobic bit in me!
Sunrise or midnight wander?
Always sunrise. Nothing like the promise of a brand new day before the rest of the world wakes up. Sitting there, pondering what can be. And it is the only moment of pause in most of my day.
What’s your personal non-negotiable on a solo trip?
Weird. Perfume. My airport ritual is to buy a bottle. I know it is not always cheaper. I don’t wear it when hiking, but for when I am not, it’s the thing I love to have with me.
A place that changed you either quickly or slowly?
Morocco. Unexpected. Surprising. Delightful. Challenged my thinking and beliefs.
Where does apprehension sit for you when you travel? In the front or the back seat?
Can I say the middle or that I hover? The unknown is always a little scary, but also exciting. And it is never as hard or as challenging as worrying about it.
What’s underrated about travel?
What stays with you – that bit you don’t know until you get home – sometimes years later. The experiences, the stories. The contributions you can make.
Train? Plane? Boat? Coach? Or Car?
Not a boat! I like things under my own steam – a boat I can’t get off. At least a plane has a purpose.
What does responsibility to a solo traveller mean to you?
Feeling comfortable and at one with the group. That sense of belonging right from the moment you consider us.
If you could gift every solo traveller one thing, what would it be?
Curiosity – keep asking, keep wondering. Then we grow.
Finish this sentence: The world looks different when I walk through it alone because … it’s me being responsible for only me, in this world of so many. Makes me stronger for all the other parts of my life.
You can connect with Yvonne via the Women’s Fitness Adventures website https://womensfitnessadventures.com/