Don’t let being alone stop you from doing what you want
Last year I went to Portugal by myself, a friend recently said how inspiring it was and she has now been traveling on her own too. I had no idea that it’s inspiring when as a woman you are not afraid to do things on your own. Maybe this is the same for men, I don’t know?
Truth is I have often been a lone cat, growing up rurally, I amused myself out in nature (singing to cows) When I was in my late teens, early 20s, my two main friends had boyfriends and I didn’t want to settle for not doing what I wanted just because I didn’t have friends available, so I didn’t! I went to Ecuador when I was 21, went to Greece twice when I was 22, then 23, been to spas, Portugal twice alone, been out for dinners, day trips and weekends away exploring. To be honest I stopped thinking of this as something different as it feels so normal for me.
Many sensitive and/or introverted beings often are content in their own company, you might also be and don’t identify with those labels. Maybe you are terrified to do things on your own, maybe you would like to try?
I realised maybe it’s good to talk about my experience of being content in my own company, rather than seeing this as something wrong or not cool. In an ideal world I probably would have a mix of both company and my own space but at some point there will be a void of a aloneness that I urge you to embrace.
Being on your own doesn’t always feel comfortable, for example I sometimes feel more afraid, more vulnerable, but the best bit is you also get to do exactly what you want. I also feel strong and independent in many ways, as well as love support from others and spending time with others. For me being in nature alone is the best, as I can really drink in the nourishment, I also find myself connecting with all the nature beings from the ants, to the trees and the birds, as they are also living and we are sharing this home together. This is opposed to hearing someone else talk to me, yes I’m a listener. I recently went on a boat trip and the guide said better to be on your own than in bad company, which I thought was funny and some truth to that.
Plus side
- Get to do your own thing
- Get to know yourself and how it feels being reliant on yourself, out of your comfort zones
- It’s empowering
- You get to connect with new, more people than you might if you were in a closed circle.
Down side
- Feel things more, such as vulnerability
- Can have annoying men attention, but less than you think, I think men are equally if not more afraid of their own company too.
The point of this is we are powerful, you are powerful, you don’t need to hide behind your phone, you can allow yourself to feel things, to be seen and don’t feel you can’t do something just because you have no one to go with.
Perhaps you are desperate to get 30 mins peace and quiet to yourself. Make it happen! You will for sure appreciate the company after this time.
Of course always tell someone where you are going, take care, be aware and be organised. If anyone ever wants tips or support, please write to me and I would be happy to share. Maybe you have some good advice/experience that you would like to share? Maybe there’s a way to build a network or tap into an existing pool of solo travellers. Let me know your thoughts,
Love Emily
