The Solo Woman's Compass: Plan, Stay Safe, and Travel the World on Your Own Terms

Grace Lyons has spent the last eighteen years traveling to more than seventy countries across six continents, the vast majority of them solo. She began her journey at twenty-two, when she bought a one-way ticket to Bangkok with a backpack, a guidebook, and a journal she still owns. That trip was supposed to last three months. It stretched to two years and fundamentally reshaped her understanding of what was possible for a young woman navigating the world on her own.

Since then, Grace has built a career at the intersection of travel, safety education, and women's empowerment. She has worked as a travel risk analyst for a global security firm, consulted for tour operators on gender-inclusive safety protocols, and led workshops on situational awareness and travel preparedness for universities and women's organizations across North America, Europe, and Australia. Her writing on solo travel, personal safety, and the psychology of risk has appeared in numerous travel publications and digital platforms.

Grace holds a master's degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics, where her research focused on gender-based violence prevention in conflict zones and post-disaster settings. That academic foundation, combined with nearly two decades of boots-on-the-ground travel experience, informs her pragmatic, evidence-based approach to safety: she believes in preparation over fear, agency over restriction, and the radical idea that women deserve to move freely through the world.

When she is not on the road, Grace lives in Portland, Oregon, with her rescue dog, Miso, and an improbably large collection of maps. She is currently learning her fourth language, practicing her sourdough technique, and planning her next trip to somewhere she has never been.