I'm a travel addict, and the one solo trip I've taken is right up there in the top 5 things I've done in life. I spent 11 days on a cross country road trip (Indianapolis to San Diego and back). It was just me and my dog, and the only thing I wish I'd done differently is allotted more time to sightsee. (6,300 miles is a lot to drive in 11 days by yourself!) I probably would have kept a journal of my experiences too.

I did actually update a blog regularly with the day's adventures and a few pictures thrown in...family, friends and coworkers followed it throughout the trip and made comments, so I didn't feel entirely disconnected. But it was actually nice to not speak to a anyone at all for an entire day and just be alone with my thoughts. And it is so nice to be on your own schedule and do what you want to do when you want to do it!

I love traveling alone! After TRB this year I spent 8 days in Italy. I stayed with a friend who lives there, so it wasn't totally alone, but had alone time in Rome while she was in school in Florence, as well as alone time while she was in class when I was in Florence. Even the travel to and from Europe alone was a blast!
I try to take a trip with lots of alone time for my birthday every year. Typically, I try to get to Disneyland and the beach. Fun places to be alone if you love people watching!

I think at first you enjoy the alone time. Then you start thinking about other people, and wondering if you should be making more connections with other people. Then you start to think about what you truly want, without worrying about the influences of others. For me, a vacation alone is a chance to refresh and think about what you want and who you are, with no need to make concessions to others to help you out. I take mini "vacations" at home in which I don't speak to anyone for a few days, just to get my brain re-centered, and have a reset on my wants/needs/desires; it's just how I ensure others aren't affecting my happiness, since I'm very happy as long as I don't let others keep me from being happy!

ummmm...i think I'm going to be selfish and say WE should go somehwere...I don't get to see you enough! Love you

Travelling alone, hmmm... something I've had to do since my divorce. I'm a woman, so, it's a little different but the "lonely" and the "me, myself and I" aspects of it are the same. Bottom line, I go places I'm curious about, make sure I stay somewhere I'll be missed if I fall off a mountain ( good hotel or eco resort with a friendly staff) where I can join in something local if I want to --- music festival, Habitat for America project, cook-off, whatever --- AND I make sure I'm in a social mood so I am up for talking to strangers without coming off desperate for companionship.

Otherwise, if I just need to get away to work stuff out in my head or if I need a spiritual hit, I go to an ashram or monastary someplace gorgeous --- like Tasahara in Big Sur California. Usually, for the price of working in the garden you can stay a few days in paradise and get your head straight.

Hope this helps.

my favorite website:

http://www.virtualtourist.com/

I see that there's already lots of great advice posted. I find that I talk to more people when I travel by myself.
There's alone-alone and then there's not-traveling-with-family/friends. Joining up with a like-minded group means you'll make friends (I highly recommend a Sixthman cruise for this...oh wait, you've got that one down).

I'm not one for motivational books, but do recommend an e-book called Evolution Through Vacation that encourages self-analysis while traveling: http://evolutionthroughvacation.com/

I had two glorious weeks at the beach by myself and it honestly changed my life. I had never taken two consecutive weeks off before and it rocked! You spend the first week getting relaxed and the second week being relaxed. I can't think of anyother way to do it now. I'll be taking two weeks again this fall on the beach--alone. Reading, cooking, biking, napping, etc. take up every minute. Throw some DVD's in there and what more could you ask for? I do take my two dogs. Does that still count as alone? ;-)

If you live by yourself you can probably figure out if you like being alone

oh my goodness! i am overwhelmed by all of your responses, i think im actually getting emotional! :)

keep the thoughts coming my way, and i will absolutely update all of you when i decide where - when - and how im going to travel this time around.

but from all the advice, i'm definitely leaning toward some sort of solo experience!!!

you guys are the BEST!

The ventures on my own have been some of my favorites. While my husband and daughter mean the world to me, the solo vacation is a wonderful thing.
Just a suggestion, take it for what it's worth, don't have your cell phone on the whole time. Take some down time and rejuvinate. Relax and enjoy the peacefulness in whatever you decide to do for your vacation. Then, return with a refreshed, uplifted spirit.
Enjoy.

I met some folks on the Cayamo cruise who were vacationing alone and loving it. As it turned out I wish I had gone alone...but that is a long story.

I have vacationed and traveled alone several times and I like it particularly when I am off to just see some of the country. When I was a kid I hitchhiked across country from coast to coast a few times alone and that was a great experience each time. When I travel alone the music in my car is at just the (often ear spliting) level I want at any given moment with just the music I want to hear, it is lunch time just when I want, I spend just as much or as little time as I want talking to the people I meet, I change plans or direction just when I feel like it, I have time to think or read, and I never have difficulty striking up conversations with a waitress or the folks at a museum I visit or another hiker on a trail or the person next to me on some bar stool if a whim has taken me into a bar to see some local music. I always return with great photos and memories and totally refreshed. Sometimes I return with insights into the local cultures of the communities I traveled through and the people I met. Other times I return with a zen like calm from the relative isolation I maintained like when I have driven through the great expanses of the south west.

I have had great vacations alone, or with someone special to me or when with several friends. I have also had a few disapointing vacations due largely to the person(s) I was with but I have never disapointed myself.

I took my first trip alone a few years ago -- to Tuscany. I found a reputable travel group called "Menopausal Tours." It was 28 middle-aged woman, many (myself included) traveling solo. What a blast! Unfortunately the outfit folded due to financial circumstances. But there are other tour groups out there that encourage solo travelers. It's not really traveling "alone," but it's an easy way to go somewhere you've always wanted to go when you can't get a friend to go with you. Also, I'm booked on Cayamo 2010 alone right now. None of my fellow Cayamo buddies have committed so far, and I'll be damned if I "miss the boat." Cheers!

A week in the mountains alone sounds like heaven, especially in this heatwave. How can you resist?

Annie & Brad's Cali trip has me thinking about a drive up the coast alone - only my schedule to think about. Well, maybe a concert along the way. Again, heaven.

You can come visit us on Cape Cod! You can be alone but not really alone :-)
Patrice

I have done some traveling and other activities (concerts, movies, etc) by myself. I’m getting to that point in my life where I don’t let things hold me back from what I want to do. If there is something I really want to do and can’t find someone to come along, I’ll just go and enjoy myself. I went on TRB IX alone; I had to get on the boat and couldn’t convince anyone to come along, so I found a roommate on the boards and headed to Miami solo! But I quickly met a great group of people to hang out with so that doesn't 'really' count. :)

I also live alone and often think about taking off on vacation, so I feel you. I'd say go for it!! Getting away from it all by yourself could be great and rewarding, but you won’t know until you try. I can think of plenty of vacations with family or friends that were more stressful than they should have been due to drama, coordinating people’s schedules/interests/etc. Just think you can do whatever YOU want to do, when YOU want to do it!

I think if I were to try this (and I may try a solo camping trip this summer) I'd schedule a weekend trip, that way you can find enough to entertain yourself and keep you busy for a couple of days. Or plan a week long trip that is flexible (driving, no reservations, etc.) so that if you decide a solo-vacation isn't for you, you can bail early. As with all things, everything in moderation. So maybe take a road-trip, spend a few days solo and then meet up with family or friends.

Enjoy your vacation and let us know how it goes. :)

I've done three trips on my own, each one unique:

1. Cruise after TRB. I decided to spend some down time after TRB VII in Miami. After seeing hotel prices, it turned out it was cheaper to go on a cruise, even in a cabin on my own. So, instead of a few days exploring the city, I spent that time actually relaxing on a cruise ship. A great contrast to TRB and a perfect way to transition back to work.

2. Niagara Falls. I found myself with a free weekend (a rarity) and decided to see Niagara Falls. I'd never been and spent my time hiking, visiting the falls and photographing everything. I stayed at a little B&B, so I got to have breakfast and chat with people before heading out for the day.

3. Alaska. I wanted to go and none of my friends could afford the trip (I had a free round trip ticket because of a previous airline screw up). I didn't want to miss the opportunity. It was one of the best trips I've had. There was so much to see and do, I was never bored. However, I did find myself lonely a couple of times near the end. It was really easy to just call up a friend and chat though. I also kept a journal as a way to remember and share my experiences later.

So, my tips:
Go somewhere you're interested in going that, perhaps, people won't be able to go with you (ie Alaska).

Stay somewhere that you're likely to meet people. The B&B I stayed at in Niagara Falls was amazing and in Alaska I couchsurfed.

Take a cell phone and/or journal so you can feel connected. If you're doing stuff, it's unlikely you'll feel lonely, but don't worry if you do. Calling your friends and family can make it seem like they're with you.

Don't worry what other people think about you. Try not to blare to the world you're by yourself (safety reasons) but don't shy away and not talk to anyone. Every time I've traveled alone I've ended up having some great conversations with people I would have never talked with if I was already talking with a friend.

Ok, that was a little longer than I expected. Can you tell I'm an advocate for solo travel?

Short version: Do it. :)

You could pull a Henry David Thoreau and live by yourself in a cabin in the woods for months and write a novel :)

We might start to miss you back here at Sixthman though, so maybe just see what you can write in a week.

Plus, the animals out there won't judge you.

-S