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Sometimes I enjoy going to places or events by myself, but I am self-conscious about it (especially if I am, say , eating alone at a restaurant). I see other people with their friends and feel like I should be hanging out with someone rather than going to so many places alone. I would like to do some traveling but I am kinda afraid to go to a different city alone. What if I get lost or have trouble making it back to my hotel? Also it is expensive to travel alone but anyway that's not the point of this post. I want to learn to rely on me and only me for a good time
I used to travel for work quite a bit, sometimes stuck in one place for several days or even weeks, and that means I was often eating alone in restaurants or wandering around unknown cities, visiting places by myself, sleeping in hotels, or being alone on airplanes or rented cars.
It doesn't bother me a bit, in contrary - I can plan what I want to do, see, eat, meet, without making any compromises.
You might enjoy such life style, all you need to do is try.
And don't bother with what others are thinking. Do what you enjoy the most.
Use your phone to plan your routes, make notes to remember things, take pictures to remember places.
I remember parking my car in a big, unknown city and couldn't find it later at night. Thankfully I took picture of the car and surrounding, so I stopped a cop and asked for help. He knew right away where my car was, and gave me a lift to it because it was late and the car was parked far away.
You can do the same with your hotel. Just take a picture of the building and name, so you can Google it when you get lost.
Getting around alone is not a problem. Make some plans but also allow yourself to be spontaneous. Beautiful things can happen when you dare to go out and about. Don't miss that...
Going solo is quite liberating. The only person you have to keep happy is yourself.
A couple of things to remember ... other people don't care about you dining alone as much as you think they do. And even if they do care, the opinions of strangers shouldn't matter. You'll likely never see them again. So why give them the power of influencing what you do?
I've been traveling solo for decades. I don't recall a time when I've gotten lost or gotten myself in a situation I didn't know how to get out of. One thing that helps is that I'm a planner and researcher by nature. If I'm going to a new city, I explore the area a bit online before I go to familiarize myself with what's nearby. Preparing myself helps eliminate worry of the unknown.
Sometimes I enjoy going to places or events by myself, but I am self-conscious about it (especially if I am, say , eating alone at a restaurant). I see other people with their friends and feel like I should be hanging out with someone rather than going to so many places alone. I would like to do some traveling but I am kinda afraid to go to a different city alone. What if I get lost or have trouble making it back to my hotel? Also it is expensive to travel alone but anyway that's not the point of this post. I want to learn to rely on me and only me for a good time
There is a wealth of information online about how to comfortably eat in a restaurant alone, and how to safely travel alone. I Googled "eat in a restaurant alone" and found lots of helpful stuff, for example: https://indianajo.com/tips-for-eating-out-alone.html
The key to traveling alone, and dining in a restaurant alone, is do a lot of research before you go. That will increase your safety and comfort level a lot.
There is a wealth of information online about how to comfortably eat in a restaurant alone, and how to safely travel alone. I Googled "eat in a restaurant alone" and found lots of helpful stuff, for example: https://indianajo.com/tips-for-eating-out-alone.html
The key to traveling alone, and dining in a restaurant alone, is do a lot of research before you go. That will increase your safety and comfort level a lot.
To build up your comfort level, you might start small, like going to a movie in your own town. In line, no one will know whether you're alone or meeting someone inside, no one will see you in the dark, and a lot of people actually prefer to go to movies alone (I'm one of them) because they can sit where they want, change seats if they like, and don't have to hear comments from another person when they want to concentrate on the film.
When you go to a restaurant alone, bring a book or newspaper, or a notepad and pen--the illusion that you're busy will help with your self-consciousness. Start with lunch, not dinner, don't go fancy, and go during the week because a lot of people eat by themselves on their lunch break so you won't stick out so much.
And you could start your solo travel by just going to someplace not too far away, but somewhere you haven't been before, and just stay overnight. The basics will be the same anywhere you go, but you won't have to pack a lot or navigate a foreign language, and knowing that you can just get in your car (or on a bus, whatever) and go back home any time you want to will make you feel less vulnerable. Then the next time, do a bigger city that's farther away, for a few nights, and so on.
Once you get over being self-conscious, I predict you will love the freedom of going solo.
Sometimes I enjoy going to places or events by myself, but I am self-conscious about it (especially if I am, say , eating alone at a restaurant). I see other people with their friends and feel like I should be hanging out with someone rather than going to so many places alone. I would like to do some traveling but I am kinda afraid to go to a different city alone. What if I get lost or have trouble making it back to my hotel? Also it is expensive to travel alone but anyway that's not the point of this post. I want to learn to rely on me and only me for a good time
Best to keep the map and name of the hotel in your phone and use google. Also good idea to have Lyft and Uber ready in the event you may not want to drive or walk that day/night. Also let someone at home know where you are or if you plan to have a late night. I do like that it was mentioned ^^^ to start not too far and then work up to bigger cities. And later if you wish, possibly abroad...
As for eating alone, 99% of the time others are not even paying attention to you, so no need to be self conscious.
Sometimes I enjoy going to places or events by myself, but I am self-conscious about it (especially if I am, say , eating alone at a restaurant). I see other people with their friends and feel like I should be hanging out with someone rather than going to so many places alone. I would like to do some traveling but I am kinda afraid to go to a different city alone. What if I get lost or have trouble making it back to my hotel? Also it is expensive to travel alone but anyway that's not the point of this post. I want to learn to rely on me and only me for a good time
Instead of fixating on the people you see who are with friends, look for the people who are there on their own. You're just not noticing them, but they're there. Going places alone is normal, and has been since....IDK, sometime after the 1950's crashed and burned. Enjoy life, OP! My mother always thought it was so strange I went places alone, but if you think about it, that doesn't make much sense; what's the alternative--to stay cooped up at home because your friends aren't available to join you, or can't afford or take time off work to accompany you on the trip you want to take, etc.? The world is your oyster, OP. Don't hold yourself back; get out and enjoy!
P.S. In case you were wondering, no one's staring at you and whispering about you behind your back when you go to restaurants or movies alone.
Not even just for eating. Most people are in their own heads and not at all worrying or judging other people for what they're doing
True..very true!
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