wow...

I don't know if I just have an extra dose of common sense/manners or if my idea of what is polite is that different from other peoples. I had stopped by a friends office while I was running around and was updating her on all my plans. There was an older lady there that was helping in the office that day and while I was telling my friend about all the places I was going and what I was going to be doing. This other lady kept interjecting with why questions. Like... Why on earth am I doing this? Why would I want to do this? What are you going to eat? etc. etc. etc.

Luckily, throughout my life, I've had the pleasure of having people like this in my life and have learned how to control my tongue enough not to offend or piss anyone off. But the thing that I kept thinking was, how narrow-minded can someone be.

Maybe part of it is a generational thing, she was older. But, regardless of that, whether or not you would do what someone else is doing, as long as it's not something that will hurt them or others, wouldn't you try to be supportive of their decision? I don't know... I don't get it. I've never been one to let the fact that I'm a girl, and in this case and at this age, a SINGLE girl, stop me from doing anything. I don't think that my gender or my marital status should impact what I can and can not do. I don't see why someone should send off a single guy to go travel the world alone, and not have the same enthusiasm for a single girl. I understand that yes, there are definitely safety things, more safety things, that women travelers have to keep in mind and be aware of than men. But most of it is common sense and not putting yourself in stupid situations.

It also saddens me that someone can live their entire life without experiencing the world and the vast array of cultures. That's one of the best parts about traveling!

Well, I guess that's the end of my rant. I just had to get that off my chest. I guess partly because it was the first blatantly outright negative reaction to my decision to take this trip.