The joy of doing things alone and on your own this summer
Somewhere along the way doing things alone got a reputation as the backup plan, the thing you do when nobody is available, the consolation prize version of the activity.
Doing things alone is its own skill and its own kind of pleasure, and summer is one of the best times to discover that if you have not already.
why alone time hits differently
During the school year, being alone is often just the space between obligations. In summer, choosing to do something alone is actually a choice. You have more time and more options and you are still picking the version that is just you. That changes the quality of it.
You move at your own pace. You go where you want. You stay as long as you feel like staying. You do not have to negotiate any of it with anyone. For people who spend most of their time around other people, this is quietly revelatory.
things that might be genuinely better alone
Coffee shops, especially for reading or working on something you care about.
Museums, where you can spend twenty minutes in front of one thing if you want to without feeling like you are holding anyone up.
Movie theaters, where you can actually watch the movie instead of being aware of someone else’s reaction to it.
Long walks with no destination.
Bookstores.
Anywhere that involves browsing at your own pace.
Cooking a meal just for yourself and eating it slowly without doing anything else at the same time.
A solo drive with a playlist you did not have to compromise on.
Morning runs or bike rides before anyone else is awake. solo day trips
This one sounds more intimidating than it is. Picking a place, driving there, exploring it at your own pace, eating wherever looks good, coming home when you feel like it. No group chat coordination. No waiting. Just you and wherever you decided to go.
The first time is a little strange. By the time you are an hour in you will wonder why you were not doing this already.
what being comfortable alone actually gives you
The ability to enjoy your own company is one of those things that sounds small and turns out to be significant.
People who are comfortable alone are not dependent on external plans and other people’s availability to have a good day. They can make something out of a free afternoon instead of feeling stranded by it.
It also makes your time with other people better, because you are there because you genuinely want to be and not because you needed to fill the time. you do not have to announce it
You do not need to post the solo coffee shop photo with a caption about learning to enjoy your own company.
You can just go do the thing and have it be yours.
Some of the best experiences are the ones that stay private.
Go somewhere alone this week. Start small if you need to. Build from there.
