Do you guys go places alone?

In My Humble Opinion
41

Movies once in a while. A pet peeve is talking when I’m trying to watch a movie. If I’m alone, that’s not a problem.

But yeah I’m very comfortable going out alone. Only child as well. I can go to a restaurant, a bar, anywhere alone and feel ok. Not a recluse, just comfortable without company when I want to be.

I’m a people watcher. In another job, I had a favorite spot I loved to sit and just watch hordes of people walk by. There’s a concrete ledge outside of Union Station in Chicago. If you exit the Adams side, after you come up the escalator and hit Adams, you know what I mean. I’d sit there during the AM and PM rush I could sit and just watch people go by. I preferred doing this by myself.

42

Sorry…I totally bypassed that thread, never even opened it, since I never eat out alone. If I’d have known you needed help, I’d have been there. :wink:

43

Alone…what would that be? I have two small children, I don’t know this ‘alone’ stuff.

OK, but sometimes I’ll go out in the evening or Saturday afternoon, leaving DangerDad home with them, so I can get some stuff done. It’s amazing how fast I can do errands by myself. That really is kind of a treat for me, to get to do things alone, even though I usually just go and do something that needs to be done.

44

I go out by myself quite a bit. Restaurants, movies, clubs and bars. I never used to, but I moved away from my family and friends in South Africa and don’t like being alone in my apartment. I’m not all that great at meeting new people so I haven’t really expanded my social circles beyond a few people at work.

I’d like to go out with people more often, but going out by myself is a step up from not going out at all for me :slight_smile:

45

I took a vacation to Cancun once. NOt that I particularly wanted to, it’s just that all my other friends were either broke of didn’t have the time. So I said “F’ it!” and went by my lonesome.

The funny thing is thoug, once I got there, I met this group from Chicago. I pretty much spent my whole week there with them. They insisted after I told them my situation.

So meh, I guess one could argue that I didn’t REALLY spend my vacation alone. But I did, with out a doubt, have the balls to do so.

Also, when it comes to movies; I INSIST on going alone. It’s usually on a weekday afternoon when not only am I going alone, but 9 times out of 10 I have the whole theater to myself because everyone else is at work. :smiley:

46

Since my most all of my friends live outside the area, and my wife and I have different tastes in film, I go to movies alone almost exclusively. The real advantage of it is that I can go see movies on my own time, which can sometimes be early enough on a release date so that I can avoid the big crowds. I saw all of the LOTR films in almost empty theaters at 1pm. (it helps to have flexible work hours)
Although I enjoy my co-workers’ company, I prefer going to lunch alone. It’s the only time I have to read!

47

I’ve gotten more social over time but I still do most things by myself. If I’ve been visiting people too much I actually start getting antisocial because I need some “me” time. Even in the US people used to think I was weird for doing things like going to the movies by myself. My two younger sisters need company all the time, so it’s not a family thing, nor related to being an only child, I think.

48

Going to movies and restaurants alone is small potatoes. I’ve gone on vacations to places like Paris, Vancouver, and New Orleans by myself!

Ed

49

I typically do things alone. This is not through choice.

50

I enjoy being alone, but I prefer it at home, when I’m engaged in various hobies (guitar, reading, computer/console games etc.) I only really enjoy going out to a restaurant if I’m with other people, the more the merrier. Unfortunately I spend a lot of time away for work and am often forced to eat out alone. I don’t enjoy it, mainly because I have nothing to do when waiting for my meal. I wouldn’t mind if I had a book to read, but I’d feel a bit odd reading a book at a nice restaurant at 7:00pm in the evening!

I ride my bike on my own, I like to be able to go at my own pace. Sometimes I’ll ride with my wife, but as she is not as fit as me, it doesn’t end up being much of a workout for me.

51

I do things alone so much that I don’t even understand anymore why people would think it weird to do things alone. I have seven brothers and sisters, incidentally. It wasn’t my choice that I would be single. It just worked out that way. If I was married or otherwise had someone to do things with I would be doing things with them, but I don’t. Basically, I always eat alone in restaurants (while reading a book), go to movies alone, go on vacations alone (although I usually go to places where I meet other people and I’ve done group tours a couple of times), shop alone, go to events alone, etc. There are several social groups that I regularly go to each month, some of which involve eating at a restaurant. There are rare occasions when I might go to movies or events with other people. What choice do I have? I can do things alone or I can do nothing.

52

Used to do it asll the time before I met Pepper Mill. Now that I have a wife and child there’s no great need (or opportunity) to go out alone, but if I’m by myuself (as I was this past week) it won’t stop me from going to the movies by myself.

53

I’m single and only have half custody of my kids, so I do a lot of mundane stuff alone without it even occurring to me. But I do go and do fun stuff by myself too, sometimes becuase none of my friends can go and sometimes just because I want to.

I went on a charter fishing trip by myself last month after everyone else flaked on me. Why shouldn’t I go alone if it’s something I want to do?

I regularly go hunting by myself, although I always make sure my partners know where I am. I do the whole camping thing alone, and it’s nice and peaceful.

I like not having to worry about what someone else wants to do. I like to just get up and go without consulting with anyone. Of course, I also like the company, and before Cowboy left, I was rarely alone, but I’m OK with it.

One thing that I don’t do much is eat out alone. If I’m on travel for work, I have no problem with it, but it’s so much easier to just cook that I never even think of it.

54

Occasionally. I go to a really, really small school, and sometimes it can get a little smothering (by really small, I mean fewer than 1000 students). On occasion, I’ll just bike down into town, or hop on the bus, and treat myself to a movie and a day of window-shopping at the mall or something.

55

Almost never. That is I don’t do the more social things alone, like eating dinner in a real restaurant, going to a movie, going on a day trip. I respect those of you that are able to do so.

Shopping, jogging, eating a quick lunch or dinner, etc. - no big deal if I have comany.

56

Yep. Probably me. Well, not in the NY area, but around Boston. (sigh…)

Married until about five years ago. Found myself “suddenly single”, and had to make some decisions about how to do what I wanted to do, but now alone.

I like going to movies by myself, mostly because I like to sit close for that immersive experience, and it gives most other folks headaches. I get a bit self conscious going by myself when it is one of those movies that inspires loners to come out dressed in costumes; no way do I want to be associated with that! :slight_smile: And Ingmar Bergman films are just to damn depressing to see alone. Other than that, I just don’t have a problem with it.

Going to concerts/events was a bit strange at first, but it turned out that there is a curious benefit; I have snagged some terrific seats because they were singles.

I envy those who have local pubs. They seem to me to be more of a neighborhood place to connect with one’s neighbors than a place to go to drink (though there’s nothing wrong with that :smiley: ). Around here, going to a bar alone to drink is either a career in itself, or else hoping to meet someone to go home with you (though there’s nothing wrong with that :smiley: ). So, I tend to only go with friends.

Restaurants are tough for me. Breakfast and lunch don’t demand as much etiquette, but there is no way to be graceful with a book or newspaper at dinner. I ended up skipping that; I go for a corner or wall table, and just watch the other diners.

I go on vacation by myself, and I cherish that.

The toughest thing for me is not the act of doing things by myself, but *motivating * myself to do those things. There is a great exhibit at a museum, or a play that I really want to see, or I really want to get up early for travelling, and I find myself procrastinating. Once I finally get going, I have a good time.

best to all,
plynck

57

I ALWAYS go shopping alone. Other people just get in the way, and I don’t care if they think what I’m buying is “cute” or not. I go to bars alone often for a lot of reasons. Mainly because sometimes I just want to sit in a dark room and drink and not have anyone talking to me. If Iam in the mood to talk to anyone, going alone actually allows me to get to know the person I’m talking to. When I go with a bunch of friends, we’re there primarily to have drinks and talk to each other. Going alone allows me to have better conversations with new people.

Most other things (restaurants, beach, etc) I do with others. I need someone to laugh at my jokes.

58

When I’m out of town for work, I do everything alone. The first time in restaurants and the movies felt a bit awkward. Eventually I realized everyone wasn’t staring at me, and now it’s no problem.

On one trip I tried going to a bar solo, and it just felt weird. I’m not really good at starting conversations with strangers, so what am I supposed to do, stare at the TV over the bar? Watch people shoot pool? I doubt I’ll ever go to a bar alone again.

When I’m home I do social things with my wife or a buddy. The wife is really good company and easy to spend time with.

Except for comic conventions. I can’t pay someone to go to one with me :frowning: !

59

Quite a bit, yes. I got into the habit early (if you think a college of 1000 can get stifling, try a high school of 80), and now I often don’t remember until too late that I have friends who might have liked to come along. Fortunately in this age of cell phones, with things like fairs I can call and invite them to join in.

On preview: shopping I always do alone, but that’s more becaues I’m so slow at it :o