My experiences as a solo, female, African American traveler

So I said I’d post this. <br><br>A few days ago, a very kind Redditor sent me $20.00 in Starbucks money, asking only that I come back safely from my trip to Italy. I was touched by their generosity, and it also gave me pause. Why would this person automatically think that I wasn’t safe simply because the color of my skin?<br><br>It may or may not shock you to know that I am an African American woman, traveling alone. I’ve traveled to Italy, Germany, Spain, France, Costa Rica, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, England, the Dominican Republic (many times), Mexico (many, many times), Switzerland, Austria and Peru, with nary an issue. I get that everyone is different, but this many experiences can’t be ignored, right? I have been treated kindly, with respect, and have encountered very little racism. Now of course experiences can differ, but I wanted to write this to encourage others who may be thinking of traveling, but aren’t because of fear. <br><br>I speak some Italian, but I’m by no means fluent, and I was treated well by everyone I came into contact with. I was never the only black person on any of the four flights I took, and of course wasn’t at any of my destinations. On one of my flights, there was even a black flight attendant.<br><br>I went to church in Rome, and on Good Friday, there were two other black people there. The Catholics in the church were very kind, and we were all treated the same. There were also many black people shopping at the market in Florence. <br><br>While I was at the Uffizi, there was another black woman, with a white male companion, and we exchanged pleasantries in English. There was also a black couple there as well. Don’t be discouraged by what you see in the media. The world is full of kind, gentle, genuine people. <br><br>If you want to travel, do it. Don’t let fear stop you. Neither race nor gender should hold you back from living your best life. Happy travels !<br><br>Edit to add that this was my 5th trip to Italy in the past four years.