Lots of women have asked me about the safety and logistics of women traveling (to Taos) alone.
As a woman who has long traveled solo (to Taos and other destinations), I thought it would be interesting to cover this subject here on taoStyle, to allay the nerves of other women who might not make the trip for fear of being stranded (or worse), in the Wild West. These nerves aren’t just common for women traveling solo in the Wild West; it’s anywhere and everywhere. Traveling alone is daunting and scary, no matter how beautiful and trusting the country is. Even somewhere as gorgeous as Costa Rica can seem terrifying, but fortunately, with tours available (this is a great place to consider if you’re looking for Costa Rican tours), women can feel safer with knowledge of the country and getting to know others. You can find tours in any country, but for now, let’s discuss inspirational solo women travelers!
Jessie Davis is a very hip and very beautiful young woman, who I thought the perfect choice for my first post on solo women travelers. A talented classically trained musician, dancer, DJ and sometime model, Jessie who is based in Brooklyn, is currently on a tour across the States, which is what brought her to Taos.
She played the Taos Inn on July 9th and made a brief appearance at Fandango 2017, invited by no other than former Prince sideman, Adrian Crutchfield to open for his band, at the event.
Her quirky yet sultry on stage persona (think Marilyn Monroe meets Laurie Anderson), sly modern romance lyrics, hip hop beats and hook driven melodies, have this young songstress on a fast trajectory to stardom.
I asked her to tell me, in her own words, about her experience as a young woman traveling alone, to Taos in particular. Her first piece of advice to me as a musician was to invest in some singers travel insurance, as there are lots of things that can go wrong when you’re on the road, which can affect your ability to meet your schedule. She learned this the hard way so she was keen to emphasize it to me.
“So my whole New Mexico adventure was part of my Howl At The Moon Tour, which is a 10 week solo tour that will take me through the Southwest, Northwest, Europe, and now back to the Southwest. For most of this tour I am traveling and performing alone, however for much of Colorado and New Mexico I had a girlfriend traveling with me and keeping me company along the way.
This was my first time in New Mexico, and to be honest I was completely unprepared for all of the magic and enchantment that we experienced. My tour took me through Taos, Los Alamos, Madrid, Ruidoso, Santa Fe, and then back to Taos. My girlfriend and I spent a few days in a casita off the high road and allowed ourselves to get completely lost in space and time. We had some full moon ceremonies, smoke offerings, tarot readings, morning writing rituals…
It was the most beautiful space for healing and creativity. I’m in a time and place in my life where I needed this the most, and New Mexico is so full of wonder and enchantment, I was really able to reconnect with parts of myself that were lost, or maybe not fully discovered yet. I was able to reconnect with that which is mystical and sacred.
My second trip to Taos was not part of the original tour, but a last-minute invite from a friend who also happened to be on the road. I was thrilled to get back to Taos and spend a little more time in the Mountains before leaving New Mexico and heading to the PNW. Unfortunately on the way back up I ran into a bit of car trouble, which spiraled into a 36 hour ordeal where I was in full-blown damsel in distress mode trying to get a car fixed or towed in Taos on a Sunday. Now let me preface this by reminding everyone that I’ve been living in New York for 6 years… So I’ve become accustomed to things moving at a certain pace, and being able to find anything I need at any given day or time. As you can imagine, living in New York, you come across lots of different drivers. Those people who have been on the roads for years and years and have a lot of knowledge and experience about how to manage the busy roads. Yet, you have new drivers who think that just because they’ve passed their test, they can drive any way they want. I can’t begin to tell you how dangerous roads in New York can be if you don’t drive on them properly. My friend even said the other day that she knew someone who had to enroll in a Defensive driving course in the area because they were caught driving recklessly. It’s dangerous. So, you could say that I have a good idea about how to manage and resolve any problem I find myself in. Being that it wasn’t my car, and I was booked to fly to Portland the next day, I was in a bit of a predicament to solve this problem ASAP!
I found myself running into my Taos angels all along the way. I stumbled into two amazing women who I met at the event the night before at a coffee shop in the midst of my car crisis. These ladies filled me with comfort and inspiration, and even provided some refuge when I needed it the most! More strangers along the way were offering, water, tools, rides, tow trucks, and anything else that could possibly help. I have to say, as a touring musician I have been quite lucky not to have too many horror stories from the road. And especially as a woman traveling alone, I have to take special care. This was one of those situations where I had to put my hands up and let the universe take control. I knew all I could do was ride it out and hold on to faith that there’s something bigger in the works in the midst of all the chaos.
Honestly, I’m still pinching myself that I was able to find as much help as I did in a place where I didn’t know anyone. Taos angels are real!!”
The car was delivered to her former travel mate in Santa Fe and Jessie made it to Portland all in one piece.
For more about the lovely and very talented Jessie Davis, please visit her site linked below this post and be sure to check out her tour dates and go and see her perform if she’s coming to a town near you!
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Photographs of Jessie in The Land Of Enchantment by Robyn Ambrose Photography and Ashira Satya
