An easier answer perhaps for us introverts, but what activities or trips have you taken or enjoyed…ALONE. Not with friends, family, others. You alone, moving at your own pace, making your own choices, fully satisfied to just be with yourself.
Maybe your group is at the same place but you prefer to go off on your own, or maybe you simply start and end the excursion alone.
(for those whose mind might be in the gutter, note I say PUBLIC trips/activities)
I love taking walks alone. I’ll walk with others but by choice prefer to just be ME. It’s something I look forward to almost daily.
When at a garden or a plant conservatory I prefer to move at my own pace - fast or slower at certain exhibits.
I LOVE going to a work conference alone. The whole travel part of it, the free time to explore and hit places I am interested. The alone hotel room!
I enjoyed going to an engineering conference in Chicago by myself. Of course, right in the middle of it I was fielding calls from my children who were young adults. I can’t remember the details, but one of them had an issue they needed my help on.
I went to Hershey Park one time by myself. To be honest, it was a little weird being alone in an amusement park. It seemed like everyone else there was with at least one other person.
A good friend of ours, a 65 year old male, goes to Cedar Point the big Ohio amusement park all the time by himself! Like multiple times a year - he lives in Michigan now, but would drive from Chicago suburbs there often from May-October!
I have gone to NYC by myself a few times and loved it. The first few times I went with my husband, so learned how to get to Manhattan from the airport, and learned the area around Times Square. I had yearly check-ups at Memorial Sloan Kettering, but stayed an extra day or two to see a couple of shows, go to a museum, and go shopping. The hardest part is probably eating alone and hailing cabs, but I’ve gotten used to it.
As I said in another thread, I was helping out a family member in DC and got to spend the day exploring the Smithsonian! It was so fun! Did you know they have a da Vinci?
I like to walk by myself also. I have company in the podcasts I listen to. My husband and I will walk, each of us listening to our own podcasts.
I dislike shopping with others. Recently I found myself by Somerset Collection (big mall in Detroit suburb). My husband had business in the area. It was a great time looking in the stores I wanted to see, trying on shoes and having lunch at the Nordstrom Cafe. All in the bliss of my own company.
I walk every morning for 90 minutes, usually on my own. I vary up my route and enjoy the time to myself. I love exploring.
I used to ski nearly every day on my own and have gone off on my own a number of times in Europe and domestically when tagging along on work trips with my H. Probably my most adventurous activity was exploring Prague on my own.
I enjoyed going to work conferences alone, even in Las Vegas. I enjoy being alone with myself from time to time. I definitely enjoy walking alone, although H typically joins me for most of my walks now & he’s a good walking partner. No need to chat constantly, which is good.
I traveled alone for my job before kids, and I was perfectly content doing things alone. I went shopping, walked around, toured museums, visited the shore in Maine (I had business at a machine gun factory in Maine!), ate at nice restaurants. I am an introvert, so I honestly enjoy some alone time.
The beach! One of my favorite pastimes is to sit on the beach with a good book. That said, I don’t mind if dh or my kids are present, as they do their own thing, but if we are with friends or extended family, I feel like I have to engage in conversation.
I, too, am a daily walker and love that time alone.
I haven’t traveled much alone in recent years. I have gone to visit my oldest in San Diego a few times by myself - best of both worlds as I get the entire day to myself to explore, but then have her company/conversation in the evenings after she gets home from work. Weekends we find fun things to do together.
I was looking forward to being an empty nester so I could travel with Dh, who traveled internationally quite extensively for work, but he has changed jobs since the pandemic and no longer travels much, and not to the interesting places he went to before!
Generally speaking, I prefer to have a travel companion. When going to new places, I enjoy it more if DH or a friend is there with me. However, I do not like group travel where everything needs to be coordinated amongst all the different personalities/personal preferences.
I’ve been on so many business trips alone that I don’t think anything unusual about traveling alone. I’ve driven cross-country alone and I don’t really understand why my friends think that is really adventurous.
I enjoy going to the Getty museum alone. When I need something I shop alone. I only shop with friends if I don’t need anything.
I’ve been on many photography trips solo. When my wife/kids went to her college roommate’s kid’s Bat Mitzvah over Labor Day a few years ago, I flew to Phoenix, rented a car, and hit Zion, Bryce, The Wave, Antelope, Horseshoe, Pink Sands, etc.
Another year, I flew to Las Vegas and spent 2 nights at Death Valley. Scanning through my catalog - another long weekend at Moab, Arches, etc.; many pre-sunrise trips to parks within ~2 hours of here; when in Las Vegas for business trips, I’ve been up to the Valley of Fire for a sunrise shoot and then back for the day’s activities, twice.
Even when on family trips, I’ll often get out to shoot sunrises solo. Cherry Blossoms in DC, many beaches, interior of Aruba, etc.
I haven’t traveled too much on my own, except for work trips and a couple writing conferences. I definitely enjoy wondering around a place i’d never been to before, when I could steal away from the reason for being there.
I’m another one who loves to walk, or bike, alone.
We have a second home, near the shore, and any time it’s feasible, I’ll steal away for a week when H is working, to gather my brain back together and write. Because I retired from teaching last year, I’d thought I’d be able to do this more often, but because of babysitting the grands, it’s actually harder to get away than before.
I’m definitely a total introvert–I NEED to be alone a lot to stay centered. My extrovert D does not understand that; she hates being alone. My H is more like her, though not to the extreme. My S is an introvert like me.
My S, who is 30, went on a two week solo trip last summer. He loved every minute of it … he got to do whatever he felt like doing, without worrying about whether or not his companion(s) wanted to do it. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
When my D lived in NYC & Portland I’d often visit solo, spent days walking, museum hopping, exploring - solo. We’d catch up for dinner and hanging out after she was done work. I almost always rented a studio apt - only 2x out of the dozen or more trips I stayed with her.
Did the same while visiting family in London.
I go to the ballet or other dance performances solo as no one I would want to go with has an interest -
I love going at my own pace, and I enjoy my own company. I admit that I’m often under earbuds quietly listening to music unless I’m enjoying the hum of the place.
Snorkeling – nobody wants to snorkel with me for some reason, but hey, that’s just fine. I’ll have the aquarium to myself. I especially enjoyed snorkeling multiple spots on Culebra and St. John.
Mountain hiking – I really enjoyed doing this in Colorado. There’s nothing like standing on top of a mountain and just taking in the view. Until it gets windy, that is, and it’s advisable to take a seat…
When H and I travel, he has begun to take a half-day a couple times during the trip to enjoy a long nap and do nothing. He’s on high speed all the time, so taking down time is a GOOD thing for him. I have started taking those half-days to explore a part of the city we’re visiting that H has no interest in seeing. Magic happens. Did it in Ireland (went to Rock of Cashel and the towns my dad’s family came from), did it in London (V&A for the fiber arts and Buckingham Palace), Budapest (Jewish Quarter and ruin bars), the Heidi museum/house in Switzerland, a few solo days in CA, etc.
I’m doing a solo trip next month to visit my youngest sister in KY and a couple of friends in the upper midwest. Am going to hit fabric stores along the way. Will also be able to crank up my music in the car, and may bring some sewing to amuse myself in the evenings. It will be heaven!
Have always enjoyed entertaining myself since I was a kid – used to hike the trails near our Army post in Germany. For an introvert, I am pretty willing to put myself out there as a solo traveler.
H did a lot of international travel in the Before Times. I got him hooked on thermal pools and that’s now his solo treat.
I love this thread theme! I will sometimes run alone, or walk (if friends not around). I almost always shop alone. Shopping trips squeezed in during short lunch breaks from work over the years made me into a speed shopper - can see exactly what I need/what’s not there in seconds.
A very social, self-confident friend of mine said while she has a very good marriage and her husband and her share many interests - their activity/travel stuff is about 80/20 (without spouse/with spouse).
That’s a great goal, to me. Develop those interests and capabilities of being independent from your partner. You only get one life!
I drove cross country by myself last summer (picked up son on the return). I enjoyed every minute of being alone on the open road with nothing but my thoughts or the radio. It was just me, myself and I. At night, I would check into an hotel / motel and find somewhere nearby to eat and have a glass of wine. I loved every minute of my own company!
I can’t remember the details, but one of them had an issue they needed my help on.
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