But did you go alone?

Ten years and many destinies later, I still hear this question frequently, in tones of astonishment, admiration, and even pity.

Yes, alone. Really alone. No, I didn't have any friends with me. Yes, I have friends. But the date wasn't right. No one was excited. Yes, maybe it would have been more fun. No, it wasn't bad. No, I don't think it was crazy. Yes, alone.

It all started in May 2013. It was a cold night. I, my passport, my suitcase, and my many fears went through boarding, got on the plane, and set off on what would be my first solo trip. I choked back tears and maintained the confident pose I'd repeated countless times.

Even though I'm already an adult, independent, living alone for a long time, outside of my home state, and already having the habit of doing a lot of things alone – beach, cinema, museums, restaurants – traveling like this had never crossed my mind.

Until it happened. I took a vacation and didn't know anyone who could travel on that same date. It was either go it alone or do nothing. Since the travel bug had already bitten me by then—and since I already had the financial means to plan for it—I went.

Of course, in practice, the decision wasn't so simple. There were so many questions, so many fears, so much research, so many sleepless nights. What if I didn't like it? What if people noticed I was alone and thought I was ridiculous? What if something horrible happened to me? What if everything went wrong? What had seemed like a maze where I felt lost ended up being an infinite number of possibilities. I explored every entrance and every road I could.

I took that cliché "if you're scared, go anyway" literally. Because fear, unfortunately, is a constant in our lives. No matter where we are. We women live in a sexist society and are exposed to various forms of violence all the time, everywhere. It's inevitable that, given all this, taking a trip alone is a decision fraught with anxiety and difficult to make.

We're still given little (or no) encouragement to be independent. We get dirty looks whenever we do anything alone. We're judged for making our own decisions, for the clothes we wear, and for the experiences we choose to have—including traveling. And we have to keep going, despite this. Forge our own path (already paved by so many who came before) and, little by little, break other paradigms and change even more situations.

It was with all this in mind that, in addition to the travel tips I already shared on my blog, Mariana Viaja, I began to focus on being alone. There (and on Instagram @marianaviaja), I tell stories, share tips, and information about my travels—a little bit of everything I intend to do here, in this new space I'm now a part of.

I find it difficult to use personal experiences as a basis for advising others to do the same, because that's definitely not how things work. And I want to make it clear that I don't think every woman should travel alone. But I know there are many who enjoy (or would like) to travel this way, and I think every woman should have that right. My goal will always be to show possibilities.

May each of us increasingly occupy the spaces we desire. And may we live without having to explain ourselves or try to prove that our choices are legitimate. There are many of us, fortunately. Different paths, different journeys. But all, in some way, opening new eyes—and new spaces—out there.