about being alone

1) it's an introvert's dream - duh. but really though, this capital "I" would spontaneously explode without it.  There is something so lovely about removing yourself from the world for a little bit and being alone. Last week before Sandy made her way into the area I escaped the city and drove to C&O canal and pretended that I was the only one alive in the whole world.  I ran along the pebble-y path by the water without an iPod  just the sound of the leaves crunching, my breath, water flowing, animals scuttling.  It made my whole body feel like it was healing itself, or charging up like a battery.

2) it can be luxurious - I find that when I'm alone I do the most relaxing things.  A few Friday's ago when I didn't have work I took myself to the movies (this has been on my bucket list since forever and it was a DREAM - comfy reclining chairs and no one in the theater...since it was 1 in the afternoon) and saw this movie (which was divine).  Often I'll skip over to a museum after work on my own, or go grab frozen yogurt just because I want to, and once on a solo road trip from NC to VA I even stopped for pecan pancakes at Cracker Barrel all on my lonesome (with much sympathy  from my waitress, whom I had to convince that I wasn't a pathetic loser). Something about going out into the world by myself spurs a sense of confidence in me; it makes me realize that I am smart enough to navigate, explore, and have fun without relying on so many inputs from everyone around me.

3) it can teach you about other people - What I've found is that often when I intend to spend time discovering my own internal world, I discover the internal worlds of other people.  This summer I spent a week alone in Granada, Nicaragua taking Spanish classes.  I'd never traveled somewhere for a whole week by myself and I thought that I would covet the extended introvert-time.  But actually, on day two, I started craving time with other people.  And the only way to go about doing that was to be brave.  I'd stumble through a conversation with my host mom over dinner, practice my Spanish with the woman selling jewelry in the market, or go on a day trip with a neighboring hostel and hear about other people's stories of travel and adventure.  Sometimes, like I said above, being an introvert makes you learn about yourself. And it's good to hibernate away from people for a little while.  But sometimes it can make you cripplingly shy.  So what I've learned is that I must use my alone time to grow myself - both in my knowledge of me and my knowledge of the world.  Because both are stunningly important.