I’ve talked before about my dream of traveling around the continental US in a camper van and seeing the cool stuff and the hidden gems in each state. Lately, I’ve been thinking about all the stuff that there is to see and do around me. Some of that stuff is in nearby states but a lot of it is in my own city and costs little to no money. Despite this, I hardly go on any adventures on my own. For example, I’ve been to the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens three times in the past few months because someone invited me each time. The zoo is about half an hour from me, I always enjoy going there, and I can easily afford it, yet I can’t remember going there even one time by myself. Additionally, there are several parks within easy driving distance from me that I’ve been to and greatly enjoyed (such as Ichetucknee Springs), lots of neat little things to do in Jacksonville, and St. Augustine is within an hour’s drive, yet I rarely ever do any of that unless I’m going with someone else. I’ve been to St. Augustine a number of times but only once by myself, and the only reason I didn’t go with anyone that night is because my intention to meet up with some people I know there didn’t happen. So if I don’t take advantage of cool, affordable activities around me now, then why would I pursue much bigger activities later on when I’m by myself in new cities and states?
Several people I know go on small adventures (and sometimes big adventures) by themselves: going on major retreats, moving across the country, attending workshops and weekend events, etc. So why do I hardly do anything special outside my house without being accompanied by at least one person that I know? Maybe my reserved nature has something to do with it. It helps me to go with someone I’m comfortable with; that makes it easier for me to meet new people, try new things, and check out new places. But I don’t think that’s the whole story. I think part of it is the joy that comes from sharing wonderful experiences with those close to me. As amazing as many of the things I’ve done have been on their own, a great part of that wonder has come from being able to do them with friends, including dance workshops, juggling festivals, park visits, weekend adventures, and day trips. So that might affect my ability to go on and enjoy a big road trip around the country without anyone with whom to share the experience.
However, I’ve also been thinking about some of the activities I’ve enjoyed doing by myself, a few of which were at the Florida Theatre. They once showed Buster Keaton’s silent film Steamboat Bill, Jr there with live music to accompany it and I enjoyed seeing it even though nobody I knew went with me. More recently, I saw Steven Wright perform there and had a blast. And I still enjoyed the time I ended up going to St. Augustine by myself; walking around looking at all the Christmas lights, listening to Christmas music from a live band, and seeing the beautiful city was a wonderful way to spend an evening. These are some of the small adventures I’ve loved despite going alone, and I’m sure there will be many more in the coming years. Whether they’re as nice as the events I’ve shared with other people depends on the types of events and who’s around me. I’ll enjoy the experience more if I have meaningful people around me while people with whom I feel little to no connection would probably make no difference. There are also experiences that I enjoy more when I’m alone, such as floating. Floating in solitude and then having alone time afterward to process everything is much nicer than having a lot of people and other distractions around me. This was especially the case with my first float; the only person around me worked at the float center and gave me plenty of space to bask in the post-float glow.
At this point, I don’t think I’ll need to have a road trip buddy to enjoy things like seeing the sunrise in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, touring some amazing bookstores out West, camping out underneath a starry sky, or anything else I plan to experience. With a lot of the things I’ve done, someone inviting me to an event was an easy way to get me out of the house and gave me a reason to do something that I otherwise might not have thought to do. Once I got started, I found many things to enjoy at the zoo, parks, workshops, festivals, performances, and everything else I’ve done. Even if I didn’t have pleasurable company with me, I’m sure I still would have found those experiences meaningful. I hope this means that all I need to undertake an adventure is to have a reason to go and that I can find such a reason outside of the people I know. If nothing else, I can always share my adventures on this blog so you can enjoy them with me. Most likely, it’ll be years before I put this to the test on my big road trip. I don’t think I’ll be in a position to go on that trip anytime soon, so I’ve got plenty of time to plan, prepare, grow, and figure out how to make the most of it before undertaking it, and I hope to have many more wonderful adventures along the way.