Temperatures have soared, we already had the first heat wave in Europe and everywhere, the summer holiday spirit has taken over.
Planes are full, airports are packed, the streets of popular destinations are crowded and days are loooooong. Sunset is just before 10pm in Spain, making days 16 hours long with sunshine from 6am to almost 10pm.
Everything around me screams summer and what better place to enjoy it than in Croatia, where I am now, soaking it all in and about to start my scouting trip for the 2027 sailing tour.
Don't miss out on the announcement when the trip goes live. Join the waitlist and go follow me on Instagram where I am sharing the behind the scenes as usual.
The podcast this week has Meg and Anastasia, one of our official tour photographers, talking about how to take photos of yourself when traveling.
I am not particularly good at it, so you're in for a treat with these two experts. Perfect for your summer vacation!
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Have you heard of "ugly privilege"? This week, I dive deep into this phenomenon that took over social media by storm.
"Ugly privilege"
Many studies have proven that being pretty can land you a job faster, find a flat to rent quicker and generally get you better treatment. This has been termed "Pretty privilege".
But what about the benefits of being perceived as ugly?
"Ugly privilege" went viral earlier this year in online forums focusing on the same idea. Can being "ugly" get you a free pass to a safer solo trip devoid of harassment?
We are not discussing beauty standards here, or judging whether dressing down or not putting make up equals being ugly. I am also not saying that women should dress up when traveling, or that dressing down is the way to go.
It is also important to remember that beauty standards vary a lot by country, and what is perceived as beautiful in one can be seen as ugly in another.
For example, my father always used to pester me with being too skinny, as if being thin was bad and a reflection of lack of money to pay for food. This is a prevalent belief in many counties where extra weight is synonymous with beauty and vice versa.
This is also not a justification for harassment or any unacceptable behavior towards women. I am not victim blaming here. We are not the problem, harassment of any kind is the fault of the perpetrator and not the other way around, and education and a legal framework is the way to go, not us dressing down not to "provoke men" but placing accountability on the person harassing, stealing or demeaning women.
But alas, this is a conversation very much linked to the general advice that blending is a great way to see a destination without becoming a target of any unwanted behavior from others or even the victim of a theft.
For solo female travelers, blending in is a great way of going unnoticed and seeing a place as a spectator without being forced to participate or being the victim of a crime for showing up as a vulnerable easy target.
Many women traveling solo may aspire to become invisible because it comes with less harassment, less stares and maybe even better prices when haggling.
"Ugly privilege" started as a Reddit thread that has more than 1,500 comments from women from around the world.
I personally don't try to look particularly pretty or ugly when I travel, but I do try to blend in and wear comfortable clothing and this may mean looser outfits, older clothes that just fit right and are great, few accessories and no make up. I dress practically and with the same clothes that I would wear at home.
If a destination is more conservative and women wear long tunics and long sleeved tops, I do the same.
I am not a fashionista, nor do I follow fashion trends. Some of my dresses I have had for years, some skirts and tops too. I have a rooster of maybe 15 dresses, 5 skirts and 30 tops that I rotate on my summer trips.
I do pay more attention when I join our tours, because we typically have photographers joining and I love to take advantage of the opportunity to get amazing photos, so I may bring accessories and put on very minimal make up (thanks to our amazing team of photographers Anastasia, Beth, Emily, Bea and Kim for having gifted me incredible memories through the years 
).
Many solo female travelers agreed that dressing down, not wearing make up, and generally being less well put together made them feel more invisible and therefore less likely to be harassed or singled out for being a woman traveling alone.
There are also other ways to go unnoticed.
Older women and those with extra weight commented on feeling the same effect, as if age and weight also added a layer of invisibility. Shorter hair, sunglasses and a general RBF were added deterrents.
Tags: Solo Femsle Travelers
