Amazing Muslimah Initiatives & Barriers to Travel
We’ve got some incredible initiatives like this group, Muslim sisters travel group and the latest one I’ve come to learn of: Makani Homes (AirBnB).
Currently, I don’t have capacity (time wise) to write thoroughly, so I’m keeping my post short bc I want to get this thinking out loud conversation started.
Let’s have a community conversation about barriers to travel at a micro level – we’re aware of the macro reasons; finances, fears, stuck in a loop, commitments, etc but I’m more interested in knowing your roadblocks/limitations as an individual, what’s your story. I have a follow up question but I’ll ask that later inshallah.
If you’d prefer to keep your identity private, consider responding anonymously. I’m confident the answers will break the ice and make us realize how interconnected and within reach the solutions to barriers are.
Breaking news to the family
I think for me, it’s breaking the news to my family, as they will have many questions and because my parents are quite traditional-they don’t really understand why one travels for fun-so it’s the anxiety of breaking the news to them and answering their many questions
Struggle with parents
I hear you! My parents were like that with my sisters, but I was viewed as iron woman-third parent; A lot of my friends had similar situations. I’d dive into conversations with my friends parents and their answers were usually: we trust our girls but not the world, and they can have fun when they’re married. I wonder if parents would be more lenient if the trip was tied to non-profit work or religious notions?
Is it weird that I love being by myself?
I think an interesting internal convo is the: I’m going solo, i love being by myself vs. What will people say/think? Will it be weird when I dine by myself? Etc. So the contradictions within is something I think a lot of people can struggle with
Need muslim home swaps… feels safer
Makani is doing just that, instead of the Air BnB model, they’ve approach the house-swap and home sharing approach. I have a dream of running a sisters only traveler’s hostel.
I am always worried about dirty bathrooms and clingy people.
Limited Financial Capacity & Fomo from Short-term Travel
can share one of my own barriers; this one’s a mental/emotional one. With my limited financial capacity and BIG energy, short term travel gives me anticipated fomo and feels rushed; so I keep going down rabbit holes and
Never solo traveled anywhere
you said exactly part of what i’m feeling, i get you. well another barrier of mine is that i have never gone solo traveling anywhere – or even traveling in general since i was a child – so i have no clue about anything travel related plus i’m worried wearing a niqab will draw unwanted attention to me as a solo traveler
Deep dives on country – Digital nomad & Decolonization
I’ve spent the past 6 months doing deep dives on countries, decolonization and digital nomad culture. And I had an epiphany recently:
Going to the Global South/SWANA/Balkans feels like going home. Living in the colonized North feels like being stuck in transit in a soulless location. People that live at home engage with the concept of travel differently, it’s for leisure and connection.
Connecting thought: contrary to popular opinion, travel and tourism IS political once we begin tapping in the history and roots of our lineages, and reclaiming our ties, identities, practices and social norms- it’ll break the choke hold of imperialism.
Thank you for letting me use this as my think out loud space, I gain more clarity with each post 
