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Cheryl Sadowski's avatar

This post made me think about different kinds of enjoyment inherent in the various ways we might travel: with spouses or partners (one kind), with friends (yet another), and solo (the focus here).

There is yet another kind, a kind of ‘solo-together’ (for lack of a better term), where one embarks on a journey alone, without partner or friends; but with a community of like-minded souls whom you gradually get to know over the course of travel.

I dare say this is among my favorite modes, for as much as I relish the a great solo trip—the freedom, the wandering, the reflecting and journaling—I have not been able, for circumstances of life, to take as many of these journeys as I would like.

I have enjoyed organized small group trips and/or writing communities where I am one, alone, among many. The discovery, sharing, and conversation that unfurls as individuals immerse themselves in nature, history, or art alongside the creative process and/or personal discovery, is deeply satisfying. It seems to fulfill many dimensions of the soul at once.

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Freya Rohn's avatar

I think a lot on the times that I traveled to NYC for work in the past, and the thrill of being anonymous around so much life going on--it felt immersive, protective, and incredibly freeing. One of the best dates I ever had was solo for dinner and then a broadway show. I sat in a box and joined in with two other strangers who were also delighted, and it was the best, as I walked back to the hotel smiling and watching the nightlife in the city. I went to Scotland for grad school alone and it was a similar feeling--while I had flatmates, much of my daily wanderings and research was solo and it was incredibly fulfilling, to notice, to be aware, to be both part of and yet observer at the same time. It allows for daydreaming, which we get far too little of. I love thinking about those times, and appreciate so much what you are sharing and encouraging by writing about your own experience. 💜

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