A woman solo traveler Who has traveling around Europe has spoken about one country that made him feel “like a target”.
American teenager Eve Kovac, 19, felt unsafe while visiting Albania where the men left her “feeling like prey”.
Eve, from Connecticut, said Online Letter how he started his first solo adventure just a few months after he turned 18.
He says: “[While there] Someone touched my hair in the supermarket, and some people took pictures of me. I guess because I’m blonde, short, and blue-eyed, I could be a target.
“Men! I feel like prey. Even husbands sitting with their wives would break their necks just to look at you walking down the street.”
Despite Eve’s negative experience with Albania, the country has seen record numbers of visitors this year.
Around 4.5 million foreign visitors were reported to have visited Albania in the first six months of 2024, marking a 34 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023.
Norway is a contrast, as she feels the safest there. There, Eve even unlocked her bag on the second day while Italy took the top spot as her favorite European country.
“My favorite place in Europe is Amalfi Coast in Italy! I found great hospitality, surfing and farming work there,” says Eve.
However, Eve becomes extremely worried when she realizes the horrific reality that her dorm in Greece is infested with bedbugs.
As a result, the 19-year-old was forced to sleep in a hammock.
Eve, who is currently in Tromso, will return to Italy before backpacking around Europe for a month. Then, the eager adventurer will take a solo trip around Asia.
She said: “Living rent-free in my van has been a huge help. I still have bills, phone, insurance, petrol… but I’ve been very good at budgeting to be able to live abroad for a few months.
“I travel cheaply. Cook a lot, buy things on sale, never buy clothes or makeup. I think I’ve had my nails done twice in my life. Never had my eyelashes done and have been cutting my own hair for the past three years.”