Why going solo is an adventure for Pam
Following on from my last post about the ingredients I’ve found are essential to enable me to live my best life, how one of them, to my surprise, is having time alone, and how, to my even greater surprise, I’ve found that travelling alone is something I actually enjoy, meet Pam (68), who you might recognise from the posts I did about nordic walking (have a look at the video). Here, though, Pam talks about the joys to be found from going solo.
“I can understand people saying they won’t do things because they don’t have anyone to do them with, because in the past that’s been an issue for me. But I feel that, if you dig really deep and you try, then it’s possible to do things by yourself. And actually, at the end of the day you get a lot more out of it having done something on your own, like gone on a holiday, or joined a group, or gone for a walk. Because you can do it on your own.
I do actively enjoy doing things on my own. I mean, not all the time obviously. I enjoy going on a walk with my friends, for example, but I’d also enjoy going for a walk on my own if there wasn’t anybody available.
Last year, I went to the BFI Festival. I booked up 8 films and went to 6 of them on my own and the other two with friends. So I just found it fantastic and loved every minute of it. It was great.
I didn’t feel on my own or alone at all
I also went to The Nordic Walking Festival weekend in Dorset on my own. I found that absolutely fantastic too. I didn’t feel on my own or all alone at all. I met so many interesting and lovely people. And now I’m thinking of going on an organised walking holiday for a week in Italy or France or somewhere really nice. It would be a challenge, but I’d like to see if I can do it.
If you do something alone, or go somewhere alone, you’re more open to conversations with other people, which is great. If you’re with someone you know well, you can end up talking about the same old, same old that you talked about last week. But if you go on your own, you meet new people and you get a different slant on things. How they do things in their area, what motivates them. You get lots more information and lots more ideas about what you can do for yourself.
I would have thought I’d have one foot in the grave at 68
If you’d have asked me at 20, I would have thought I’d have one foot in the grave at 68, but my dear old mum is nearly 99. So if I’ve got her genes, I’ve got 30 more years of challenges and new experiences to face and enjoy.”
How do you feel about doing things on your own? What solo adventures have you had and enjoyed?
Other posts you’ll enjoy
Heydayer Louise on feeling the fear but doing it anyway
