Solo traveling as a woman… is it actually safe or am I overthinking it?

I’ve been really wanting to start travelling solo this year, but I keep going back and forth in my head about it. On one side, it feels like it would be such a wonderful experience, just exploring new places on my own, doing whatever the heck I want, and meeting new people. But at the same time, I can’t really ignore the safety concerns.

I’m from India, sooo, perhaps... maybe that’s also why I’m a bit more cautious, but I’d genuinely love to hear from people who’ve actually done solo travel. How safe did you actually feel while travelling alone, and were there certain places that felt more comfortable than others? I’m also wondering if it’s smarter to start with shorter trips first or just go for it and figure things out along the way.

I really don’t want fear to hold me back, but I also don’t want to be naive about it. Would really appreciate some honest advice... 🥹