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Magazine I International Women’s Day

Free as a bird

An example of stealth, resilience, personal development, and empowerment, 29-year-old leg-amputee Esty Segal is on a quest for adventure, freedom, and joy. Though she knows some may find it surprising to hear, traveling solo is her passion and her way of life \ By Nava Marton

Tell us about yourself and how you got to where you are “After healing from cancer twelve years ago, I got the opportunity to travel abroad thanks to an association that supports kids recovering from cancer, and I discovered a passion for foreign lands. I’ve been traveling ever since – first to closer destinations such as Greece, and for shorter periods of time, then to more faraway lands and

for longer. I was amputated of one leg five years ago, which knocked back a bit of my confidence. It took time to start traveling alone again. I bought a one-way ticket and went on the journey of my dreams: just me in the middle of nowhere, a tent, a car which became my home, and a camping stove. I left my job, the apartment I was renting, and together with my prosthetic leg, crutches, and/or wheelchair, started

the nomadic life I had always dreamt of. I wanted to discover who I really was, while exploring the world and all the wonderful cultures and people that inhabit it – and most of all, I was on a quest for joy”. What are the advantages of traveling solo? “Most of all, it’s the freedom. I get to create exactly the journey that I want, at the pace of my choice. I usually don’t make specific plans and follow my intuition. When I’m alone

26 ATMOSPHERE MARCH 2023