This is somewhat tangential to the OP but was this someone that you were romantically interested in? And you feel like telling her about your solo vacation drove her off completely?
Yes. And yes. I mean, usually when I drive a woman off it’s with my face or my personality. But we had seen each other before, so it wasn’t that. She really kind of made a point to emphasize it. Like, “So…you REALLY went alone? I don’t think I could ever eat at a restaurant alone.” And then her whole vibe just changed. Like I was a serial killer or something.
I can’t know for sure, of course. It could have been the skywriter I hired to write “I Choo-Choo-Choose You.” But I think we can all agree that that’s just fucking romantic.
It really depends. I see nothing wrong with taking a trip by yourself. But, if you went to Niagra Falls and stayed in the Honeymoon suite, I can see why your friend might be super weirded out.
Other than that, I can’t understand why someone would find it so odd. Is it better to stay at home? Better not watch tv, you need a partner for that so you know when to laugh, or cry.
I can see how a person who has never done anything alone might find it odd. Especially a woman. Women are more likely to find safety and security in numbers.
I went camping alone last year. In NYC. I had a good ole time, but I only told my family about it. I don’t really feel like explaining why I do the things I do, and that’s what I would end up doing if I talked about my adventure.
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I recently spent a couple of years bumming around China and Southeast Asia solo. Some countries are very cheap and you can get by with less than 20 dollars a day. You have total freedom to go where you want. Had no plans to go to Burma or Indonesia when I left the US, but somewhere along the way it seemed like it would be a cool detour, so I went.
You can camp in NYC? Where?
I went backpacking in Europe by myself when I was 20. In hindsight, I’m surprised my parents let me go, but I’m very glad they did. The only regret I have is that I was a bit too shy and introverted to take full advantage of traveling alone. I think I would have had much more fun had I gone a few years later, when I was more confident and comfortable in my own skin. That said, I still really enjoyed my trip.
A friend of mine once went on a blind date, and the guy was really incredulous about the fact that she liked to travel alone. He thought she was nuts, and he said he was “too scared” to do it himself. She said she lost all respect for him after that.
Much like with the rule about drinking alone, I believe there’s something pathological about needing to have someone else around to give you permission to do something you feel like doing. If this lady can’t even imagine going to a restaurant by herself, well, that’s certainly not the type of person I would want to get entangled with.
When my SO and I first moved in together, I was traveling overseas for my job maybe 5-6 times a year for 1-2 weeks a pop. Now, we just take it for granted that it keeps our relationship healthy for each of us to have a little alone trip now and again. For both of us, I think, being on the road is when we feel most like “ourselves” and it’s important to both of us to return to that identity on our own now and again - just to remind ourselves that while we’re part of each others’ identity now, each of us also has a “just me” identity that’s fun and healthy to revisit from time to time.
Wall Street, apparently.
Like… homeless person camping? Cause that **is **pretty weird.
I am looking at travelling alone some time this year as a fairly new single middle aged man, most people think I am a bit strange or think that I am only going to Asia for the ping pong girls which is so far from the truth it’s not funny.
The idea that I can wake up in the morning and hang out at the pool all day, wander the markets or go surfing at the drop of the hat sounds enticing, although a chance meeting with a Swedish nympho would be a good distraction for a couple of days. Oh and NO interwebs or mobile phones.
I’m single. I often go on solo vacations. It would be odd if I didn’t.
That quote left out a bunch of text that was in the original. I thought “Really liked her too” was talking about his sister. As in, joking that they can’t hang out anymore because she doesn’t understand him taking solo vacations.
I travel all over the world by myself. I love it. I do things most people are too afraid to do. I travel with no plans other than its time to go. I wouldn’t mind having a travel partner though.
Why wouldn’t you admit to it? Women too take solo vacations. There’s nothing weird about doing so, and people (women or men) who think it is are the one who have a strange view. What do they do when they’re single? They don’t take vacations, don’t go out, don’t watch movies, don’t eat out?
I don’t think 'tis weird at all to go vacationing by yourself, but count me in as one of those “weirdos” who would never go out to a regular event by himself. I wouldn’t go to a movie, to a play, to a restaurant, or whatever, without someone going with me. It’s a stupid personal flaw but when I have tried it I just can’t enjoy the experience at all. It just makes me feel lonely.
A vacation by yourself though, seems awesome. Which I know is necessarily going to include doing things like eating out by yourself, and everything else by yourself, but that seems different to me fundamentally than going out to events in your home town alone.
I don’t know if it’s weird, but most of my vacations are solo. I’m married (33 years) and have a family (which might be the reason 
).
I like camping, either in the RV or on my small cruiser. In the past year I’ve:
-taken the RV and 4-wheeler for several days to camp and wander thru the woods
-taken the boat to different lakes to spend a few days at anchor (just me, books, and a few dvds)
-spent a few days at the deer lease, just hanging around the cabin with my dog
If I can pull it off (time off and gas $$), I’m going to spend about 5-6 days exploring the Laguna Madre this fall in the boat. I’m currently “practicing” by gradually increasing the number of nights I spend aboard with only battery power. I know I have the fuel range to make Corpus to Port Mansfield easily, but I want to take my time.
Even though I have people to travel with, I prefer to be alone for most trips. Most of the family doesn’t like my preference for primitive accommodations, and I’ve grown weary of dealing with the “terrible toos” (It’s always too hot/cold, windy/calm, noisy/quiet, steep/flat, expensive/cheap, slow/fast etc.) Maybe I’m becoming an old curmudgeon, but give me a solo trip with my dog any day.
No, he was right, I was talking about my date. I constructed the sentence poorly.