How an “insult” predicted my future:
“why don’t you GO AND BE A strong independent woman, LIKE oPRAH”
Twice… twice in my life I was told this phrase from a boyfriend (obviously ex boyfriend now). It wasn’t said as a compliment, no, they told me to be a strong independent woman, like Oprah as an insult.
Honestly the first time I heard it said, I laughed. How can you use becoming a strong woman to be an insult?! But the second time, I was baffled! What are the odds that two men would say this to me, years apart from each other?
Hearing someone I cared about (at the time) say this to me, in a venomous tone not only verified the fact that he was not the right person for me, but I was outwardly showing myself as the independent woman I wanted to be.
Solo travel is what helped me become the independent woman I am today. Before I started traveling alone in 2012, I was not the epitome of strong or independent. Yes I was courageous with some factors of my life, but there were other factors of not speaking up, not going anywhere alone, depending on others for my happiness, that I was not proud of.
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How Solo Travel Changed My Life:
Booking my first trip was the beginning of my growth. I learned to make decisions for myself, I learned to put myself first and to create my own happiness. No longer do I depend on someone to go anywhere with me, If I want to go, I go. I am no longer am shy and meek when it comes to standing up for what I believe in, or what I want.
Thanks to the experiences of my past, and those “insults,” I have developed the strong independent woman qualities, that I have admired for so long in Oprah.
![](https://onegirltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/28287/2020/06/img_8209-769x1024.jpg)
Cheers to all the strong independent women out there… may we all strive to be like Oprah!
xoxo
Alessia Lisa
If you would like to learn more about how I started to solo traveling, check out my About Me post https://onegirltravel.com/2019/10/25/about-me/