Woman solo traveler was scared checking into an Airbnb at midnight — then her host did something beautiful

Traveling is one of the most fulfilling activities that we humans indulge in. While traveling in groups has its charm, traveling solo can be therapeutic, educational, and enjoyable, allowing you to get to know yourself better while also learning about the local culture. However, traveling solo as a woman can be both challenging and rewarding — depending highly on your luck and the people you are surrounded by. On the one hand, there's a heightened sense of independence, and on the other, a gutwrenching fear of exploitation. Ann Mathew — who goes by the username @browngirlthriving — posted a video on her TikTok from when she went on a trip to Portugal, and her experience will flip your perception on female solo travel.

The Toronto-based content creator, Ann Mathew, escaped for a peaceful trip to Portugal. What she experienced there restored her faith in humanity and encouraged her to travel solo more often. The 24-year-old told Newsweek about her stay at an Airbnb in Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal, detailing how she was terrified in a foreign land. She checked into the stay at midnight, but, fortunately, the hosts made her feel at home with their warm welcome and priceless service.

The video features an old man, the co-host of the Airbnb, making her eggs after she asked him for Uber Eats instructions. The text overlay reads, “Throwback to when I started overthinking about ‘stranger danger’ when I arrived in Portugal on my solo trip, but the universe sent me a sign when I checked into my Airbnb at 12 am and my Airbnb host immediately started making me a warm meal after I asked for the Uber Eats instructions.” In the caption, she recalls the kindness of all the people she met on the way.

"At first, I was so nervous when I arrived [in Portugal] because it hit me that I would be staying with strangers in a country where I didn't know anyone," she told Newsweek. "But I found Portuguese culture to be so kind and giving. I was so grateful, especially for my first Europe-specific solo trip." She mentioned that she embarked upon this adventure to "work on [her] self-trust and get out of [her] comfort zone." Apart from being a social media personality, Mathew is also the founder of Brown Girls Thriving, a wellness club helping South Asian women "heal from societal pressure," encouraging them to "face, grow, and build intentional friendships."

"Everything looked so scary at night," Mathew expressed. "I was so hungry when I arrived and couldn't wait until the morning to eat. I asked my hosts when I arrived, since they were also staying in the place, if there were any specific Uber Eats instructions I could use, and instead they offered to make me a warm meal. In fact, he insisted because his eggs were his specialty." This single act of goodwill did measures to assure Mathew that she would have a safe trip. "He honestly seemed excited to show me his specialty meal — he made an omelet sandwich-style for me. I was incredibly surprised, because it was so late at night and I could tell they were about to go to bed." The hosts also provided her with a metro card for transportation, helped with laundry, and guided her through local recommendations.

While solo traveling as a female sounds fascinating, it has its share of risks. According to a study by Meltem Altinay Özdemir and Ceyda Kolkesen, “The 7 sub-themes identified under the main theme of risks faced by solo female travelers are sexual-related risks, cultural and societal risks, gender-related risks, physical and financial risks, political unrest and terrorism, performance risks, and psychological risks.” Such factors result in a plunge in the number of female solo travelers.

According to a 2023 study in the Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, solo female travelers are likely to seek self-understanding, independence, and cultural exchange, but also face anxiety rooted in safety risks. As per a survey by Brittany Ferries, “69% [women] said safety was their main reason for not traveling alone, 50% were concerned about getting lost, 46% didn't want to feel lonely, 21% of solo female travelers have feared for their safety in the last 12 months during a solo trip and 17% of female travelers carried self-defense items when they traveled in 2024.”

After watching the comforting video, many viewers shared their opinions in the comment section. @michellevww expressed, “This! Always think the likelihood of meeting a good person is way higher,” and @nj7986 shared, “My favourite part of travel is always the people I meet along the way (I met my husband while travelling).” @lisvslife wrote, “I got stranded in Portugal for 24 hours, and every person I met was the nicest person ever.” Finally, @alexisfventes hopefully commented, “I’m going on a solo trip there in June. This makes me feel better!”

You can follow Ann Mathew (@browngirlthriving) on TikTok for more travel content.