Everyone warns against solo trips, but I love them

Most explorers say you need a buddy, but I think going alone is way better. You get to really hear the silence and spot details others miss. Like last fall, I crept into an old arcade and found a bunch of tokens on the floor because no one was rushing me. I just text a friend my location and carry a backup battery pack. Alone, you can sit and imagine what the mall was like without chatter, it's pretty cool. Sure, be smart about it, but the peace is worth it. Give it a shot if you want a different vibe, lmao.

3 comments

3 Comments

the_james28d ago

I used to be totally against going anywhere by myself (seemed lonely or maybe unsafe, you know). But after trying it, I get it now. Grant.sam is right about being more open to talking to people, which is funny because you go alone to be alone but end up meeting more folks sometimes. You notice the little stuff, like the design of a ceiling or the way a place smells, without any distraction. It actually makes regular days feel more interesting too, since you’re used to paying that kind of attention.

patjones22d ago

That bit about noticing how a place smells is so true, my own brain is too loud to hear anything else half the time. Grant.sam is onto something with the practice thing, I'm still working on that part.

grant.sam28d ago

Notice how people who travel alone seem way more open to talking to strangers. You're not in your own little group bubble so you end up making those random, cool connections with locals or other solo folks. Honestly, it turns the trip into this social thing you build yourself, not just something you watch from the outside. Your story about the arcade is exactly that, you had the space to let your mind wander and actually notice things. Tbh, I started doing solo stuff and it made me better at talking to people back home too. It's like you practice just being comfortable in your own head wherever you are.