Let me tell you a story.

Or rather, four different stories.

Once upon a time, four women embarked on individual expeditions with Beyond Expeditions.

Cherry, an easygoing and determined educator, set off for Central and Western Mongolia for the Legendary Golden Eagle Hunting Festival.

Kaili, an excitable graphic designer, and Chai Tyng, an adventurous sales director, left the comforts of clean toilets in Singapore for the Wild and Western Mongolia.

And Ee Ming, a curious freelance writer and journalist, embarked on an adventure for the horses in Kazakhstan.

Each woman returned to Singapore with their mind and heart touched by what they’ve experienced with the locals, fellow expedition-ers and the country’s nature.

While they do not all know each other today, there is this one common thread that weaves through all four of their lives;

they have each gone through a personal transformation because of their chosen expedition.

Through this 2-part series of articles, I wish to share a glimpse of their transformation with you. Each of these women agreed to ZOOM-ing with me, and our conversations opened my eyes to how Beyond Expeditions’ experiences can empower women. Before we begin, I want to align our definition of what ‘transformation’ can look like, since we would all likely hold a different understanding of this word. We are not looking at something large-scale; none of these women came back from their trip with a decision to change partners, or start a new business of their own. In this article, (and I hope in your lives too, eventually) transformation looks like you learning something new about you/ being reminded of a part of you and allowing this knowledge to help you make ‘better’ choices in your life. Transformation can look like you seeing a different perspective (be it about what it means to love, respect, or what it truly means to embrace your own pace), and allowing this perspective to shift the way you now navigate your life.

If this is a new perspective for you, no worries at all. In fact, all the more I hope you stay with me as I bring you into these four varying stories. As you read these two articles, allow yourself to be with these ladies as their insights show you what transformation and empowerment can look like in ‘small’ ways too.

CHERRY’S STRUGGLE WITH SAFETY AND HER INTROVERSION.

Beyond Expeditions offers aspiring female solo travelers, a safe stepping stone that’s ‘just nice’.

During my conversation with Cherry, she brought up a point that made my heart light up in understanding and agreement. “Oh, and honestly, BE’s expeditions empower solo female travelers too! Women who want to travel solo but are scared.” I nodded at her in excitement, my mind shifting its gears as it urgently wanted to discover the connection between the two. I encouraged her to share more about what she meant.

“Well, there seems to be many more women who want to travel solo these days. But because of how traveling alone as a woman may feel very unsafe, women always google for “safe countries for women to travel solo to… With BE, women get to travel solo, but in a group. We meet other like-minded female solo travelers, which is one of my favourite parts of the trip, honestly! It seems like BE attracts many female solo travelers with similar mindsets and a love for adventure and trying new things; my group only had two guys, and we had ten girls!”

That night, as I stared at my bedroom ceiling, musing over what Cherry said, this line tumbled into my mind.

Cherry mentioned that the demand for solo travel seems to be on the rise amongst women (The average monthly search volume for the term “solo female travel” grew by 52% between 2016 and 2017, averaging 2,900 searches between October 2016 and September 2017). However, traveling alone can be too much of a mental and emotional stretch for first-timers. Worsened by the shroud of mystery and worry around changing travel restrictions due to the pandemic, women thus resist solo traveling even though they do desire to.

Thus, Beyond Expeditions’ unconventional travel destinations hit all the right marks; a woman gets to fulfil her need to travel alone from friends and family without compromising her safety, without an overly challenging test of her independence in a foreign land. Loneliness is absent and replaced with meaningful connection; she will be journeying with fellow female travelers throughout her days there, sharing new and challenging experiences of the world beyond together.

Feeling a sense of awe and inspiration, I closed my eyes, ready to doze off for the day. Then, something else Cherry said got my eyes to flutter back open as my mind began to spin again.

“I’m an introvert! So when I travel solo and stay in hostels, I struggle to connect with other travelers and start conversations. But it’s not that I don’t want to… I do want to connect! So there’s something about the experiences BE creates, that supports introverts to make connections and not have to step beyond what they want to.”

Cherry’s struggles as an introvert were relatable to me. Ever since I entered my 20s, my capacity for social engagement has fallen to great depths. Yet, I still appreciate connecting with people whose presence sincerely energises me more than they drain me. And this is where BE’s magic comes in once again. Given how BE attracts travelers from various backgrounds but share a similar willingness for the new and the unfamiliar,

Beyond Expeditions offers introverts a comfortable nudge of connection.

KAILI FOUND TRUST AND/IN HER POTENTIAL.

Beyond Expeditions challenges you to see yourself as more.

“I can do much more than I thought I could… this expedition made me see that I am much stronger than I believed I was,” Kaili explained that her time in Mongolia came with a fair share of challenges.

Little do we know how much we truly trust ourselves, until Beyond Expeditions puts us to the test in the face of discomfort.

In my conversation with Kaili, something came up for her.

There were extremely long treks, where the terrain “wasn’t like those of Singapore nature parks”. With countless steep slopes and even a hike up and around a volcano crater, it was all a huge test for Kaili. She wasn’t a ‘sporty’ girl at heart, and the length and intensity of the trekking involved were beyond what she was used to. Coupled with the rather frigid temperatures, this expedition stretched Kaili way out of her comfort zone.

So, it inspired me greatly to hear her realise how these opportunities taught her to say yes to discomfort, which helped her see a different side to herself. “This expedition also encouraged me to trust myself in a strange and foreign environment,” Kaili realised, her voice lightening with a tone of surprise. “There were so many new things for me, things I’ve never done before… but I did them all.”

Beyond Expeditions helps you say ‘yes’ to self-trust.

Her words sent warmth through my chest. Kaili’s insights about her expedition to Mongolia gave me a new perspective on what our expeditions offer. The nature of the experiences offered by Beyond Expeditions are often different from what our travelers are used to; 6-hour treks purely on horse-back across steep terrains, climbing atop massive sand dunes in the glaring heat of the desert, even living with reindeer herders in the frosty bite of winter. With such a high element of unconventional, Beyond Expeditions challenges our travelers to step away from what’s comfortable, towards a new belief;

When you trust yourself in situations of uncertainty, this is what you’re truly capable of.

Cherry and Kaili’s stories make up the first of our 2-part series of articles featuring the transformation our female travelers experienced with Beyond Expeditions. Do head on to read Chai Tyng’s experience (especially inspiring because she’s a germaphobe!) and how Ee Ming ended up working with social enterprises and horses in the next article; their stories left a huge imprint on my mind and heart.

And before you go, here are the different expeditions our four amazing ladies decided to embark on; this may just be your next adventure.

Cherry flew over for the Legendary Golden Eagle Hunting Festival.

Kai Li went to Central Mongolia.

Chai Tyng landed in Mongolia (same trip as Cherry).

Ee Ming galloped to Kazakhstan.