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"  At 24 I lived in a beautiful Seattle apartment, had a prestigious marketing job, regularly threw fancy parties, and always had a serious boyfriend. But my social plans and constant relationships were fueled by a fear of being alone. That all changed when I was laid off. A close friend announced that she was heading to Costa Rica for three months, and I decided to join her. Living with no social network and without the distractions of the modern world opened my eyes: I actually didn&amp;#039;t need company to stimulate me after all. I had the wild jungle and the crashing sea. So instead of beginning graduate school as I had planned, I decided to continue traveling\u2014this time alone. Every time I squeezed onto a crowded bus alongside the locals, figured out how to communicate with a few foreign phrases, or sampled strange foods, I felt like I was actually connecting with the real world around me. Much to my surprise, this adventurous lifestyle actually suited me. Now, two years since my layoff, I&amp;#039;ve haggled in hectic souks in Morocco, raced motorbikes down dirt roads in Vietnam, swam with sharks in the Caribbean Sea, and sailed to undeveloped islands in Cambodia. Everything I own fits into one backpack, and I live on less than $30 a day. My life isn&amp;#039;t without sacrifice: I&amp;#039;m far from my family, and it&amp;#039;s hard to have a long-term relationship. But this path brings me the most joy, and I trust that by walking it, I will be a better daughter, friend, and, one day, partner.  Want to Be a Global Nomad?  Do your research: Check out Lonely Planet&amp;#039;s online Thorn Tree Travel Forum to read accounts from thousands of solo female travelers and determine your destination&amp;#039;s safety and cultural norms for women. Fake confidence: Appearing lost or confused is an open invitation for a creepy stranger. Even if you&amp;#039;re unsure of where you&amp;#039;re going, walk decisively with your head held high. Step into a hotel or caf\u00E9 before you pull out a map. Find fellow travelers: I make new friends by staying in hostels, hanging in expat caf\u00E9s, and going on organized tours. Set boundaries: If people see you sitting alone in a caf\u00E9, they might assume you&amp;#039;re desperate for company. If you&amp;#039;re not, politely tell them you&amp;#039;d prefer to be alone. Your responsibility is to respect yourself, not to appease another person.  MY TOP FIVE SPOTS FOR SOLO FEMALE TRAVELERS:  1. Little Corn Island, Nicaragua2. Lisbon, Portugal3. Essaouira, Morocco4. Hoi An, Vietnam5. Koh Lanta, Thailand  Follow Camille&amp;#039;s travels at www.thisamericangirl.com "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.marieclaire.com/sex-love/advice/a8833/single-girls-guide-how-to-travel-the-world/>