Discovering new and interesting things strolling around the city.
What is a Flâneuse you may ask? The word Flâneuse is the feminine form of the French word Flâneur, which is a person who wanders around a city taking in the sites with no specific agenda; just wandering and observing everything, the people, the buildings, the environment, finding beauty, joy and enlightenment in this process.
As women, being a Flâneuse is empowering because in the past women were not allowed to wander unaccompanied. As modern women, we enjoy and value our independence to travel and wander as we choose, discovering the world. Being a flâneuse is a celebration of our freedom and independence as women to go where we want, when we want and find joy in the things we discover.
Even now in current times, as independent women, we still face judgement and scrutiny when we stroll alone in a city or go out alone, or travel alone. The solo independent woman historically has been seen as taboo, society dictated that proper women were only to go to certain selected places and most certainly never alone. Women traveling alone or just being in a space alone, often experience sexism, condescension, being patronized, viewed as being desperate or reckless. Women who are independent or travel alone are often judged for choosing a different lifestyle other than more traditional, dependent roles.
As modern women, we value our independence and embrace the ability to see the world through our own eyes and to tell our own stories of our experiences. There is nothing more powerful as a woman to plan a trip, pack your bags and go off on an adventure, all by yourself. Of course, when you travel you are really never by yourself, there are so many people to meet along the way. Traveling on your own terms, your own pace, going to places that you want to go to without having to compromise with others is a true delight. You can get up when you want, go where you want and truly make your trip an expression of self-care and self-empowerment.
Some of the best places for Flâneuserie (art of strolling around and observing a city as a woman) include Viejo San Juan-Puerto Rico, Casco Viejo-Panama City, Panama, Zona Colonial-Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Centro Histórico-Cartagena, Colombia, Madrid-Spain, Paris-France and Miami, Florida.
Write your own book, chapter by chapter. Happy Wandering! For those flâneuses who move through cities on foot, noticing details and letting the walk unfold, a simple walking journal can be a quiet companion for capturing those moments along the way.