Discussions
Lonely Travels
Posted by Stillthinking • 5/15/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: loneliness, paris, rodin, travel
I have a new post on traveling alone. I enjoyed my trip to Paris immensely, I never felt more lonely and isolated than I did at the Rodin museum and on the Seine cruise.
Have you traveled solo? Have you experienced this? What are the loneliest places on the planet?
www.studio307.blogspot.com
User Comments
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Yes, I sure have ... but I always seemed to meet at least one really nice person, if not more, to share some of the experience with. Years ago, I went on a 7-day rafting trip on the Colorado River (Grand Canyon) alone. But, then again, I met up with a group of people. They started off strangers, and most were couples or families, but soon I'd made quite a few really nice acquaintences.
I've also hiked on the Appalachian Trail alone. In a way, those times were exhilerating. At the same time, if I saw something beautiful or amazing, part of me wished there was someone else there with me to share it. I was once on a mountain summit alone. Wonderful ... but, yes, lonely too.
I'm off to read your blog post now.-
That is precisely how I felt. Traveling alone opened me up to talking to strangers. It was exhilarating and freeing, but I did have those moments.
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You have guts, travelling alone. That's so great you did it. I've never travelled alone out of the country.
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Really? Cause I don't think I could white water raft or hike the Appalachian trail on my own. Somehow, exploring a strange city just doesn't intimidate me, but challenging nature does.
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You've been to Paris???? How come you have never mentioned it?-
Am I getting boring? I know I have been blathering on about it for a month now.
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Nah I am only messing with you. Liking the Bette Davis avatar by the way, I am going to watch "Mr Skeffington" on Youtube later.
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Hey! Another Bette Davis fan! This photo is from All About Eve, which is one of my favorite movies of all time.
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Love her. I would marry her in a heartbeat. I only watched "All about Eve" for the first time about a month ago.
I absolutely loved it, great writing and a nice little cameo from Marilyn. -
That was actually Marilyn's very first speaking role in a film. I think the people who write her off as a dumb blonde miss that she had absolutly impeccable timing. The naughty looks she gives in the movie while she delivers her line were perfect.
I don't know if you would have been happy married to Bette. She was famously difficult and she married her costar from All About Eve only to have it fail in histrionic, epic flames. -
Marilyn was actually a very good actress it was just that the studios continually forced her to play the dumb blonde part and that's what she became in peoples eyes.
I'm sure I read that one of Bette's husbands died in "mysterious circumstances" he fell down the stairs after a heated argument with her or something like that.
I reckon I would still marry her though just for those eyes. -
Bette was also a spot-on comedienne. She could film a melt-down like no one else, but I think the best scenes in All About Eve are when she's being funny.
Have you seen Now Voyager? She's not comedic in it, but its another one her great roles and how even though she wasn't classically beautiful, she could be breathtaking. -
That's my favourite film of hers "Let's not ask for the moon when we have the stars"
I think she is absolutely gorgeous in that.
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I went to Morocco on my own and it was lovely. I did find myself being a bit less adventurous than I might otherwise have been becasue of my perception of attitudes to women/how we should dress etc in Moroccan culture, but I still did lots of fun things (went camel riding in the desert!) and had a lovely holiday. I would certainly do it again - maybe with a few less hang ups.-
That sounds wonderful! When did you go? Paris was my first trip out of the country in 15 years. Now I am absolutely infected with the travel bug and plan on doing it all on my own.
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3 years ago - it was my 30th birthday present to myself.
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I am glad you rewarded yourself. My trip was my attempt to bump myself out of my slump and I think it was pretty effective. I feel much better now.
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On my trip to your side of the pond last year I was on my own but not, as I was staying with various blog chums along the way.
I did love the freedom of being on my own and following my own itinerary. Like yourself, everyone else is getting married, having kids etc so don't want to do anything spontaneous.
I will definitely be doing more travelling on my own, I am not waiting around for anyone else anymore
There are definitely lonely moments, especially when you want to chat.-
I actually would love to meet some of my blogging friends next time I fly to Europe! My goal is Amsterdam, but I could be persuaded to drop by London. Who knows when that is going to happen though. I have to find a job and earn some money first.
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There are so many more blog friends that I missed out on the first trip, another several trips are needed. Also I want to meet up with a few again, especially Anok and Thrifty.
Well I don't live near London, but if I had enough notice I would meet up with you Maybe near a zoo so we could transport Anin down to meet.
Next big trip is 2011 for my 30th, I am thinking Peru. -
Pff I don't go south of Birmingham it's full of southerners and I definitely don't go to that there London. They don't even have proper chippies down there.
I used to have a mate from Peru, a little brown bear always wore a duffel coat, a red hat and a pair of wellys. He was actually a bit odd he would only ever eat marmalade sandwiches. -
Okay she can fly to Manchester then.
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Urrrrrrggghhh Lancashire!
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and then she can get the train over your way..
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You can't enter Yorkshire from Lancashire now, we have closed the border.
We were getting too many refugees crossing at unwatched border points so we had to seal it with a Pennine wall.
That and Simon Cowell's ego are the only two things in England you can see from space. -
Well my sister is invading from Germany on Sunday and will be breaking through the border.
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The Germans tried that before and it ended in tears. I don't think they would try it now because now they don't have Blakey from "On the buses" as their leader but we still have to be vigilant.
"I'll get you Butler!!!" still send shivers down the spine. -
So, do I need a Visa to visit Yorkshire as it seems it is a different country from the UK altogether.
If I drop by London, I expect to meet CRpitt, Anin, Siuil and GreenCurmudgeon for a hilarious afternoon tea and any other adventures you may be up for.
Hmmm, London and Dublin might be a great dual destination trip. My liver hurts just thinking about it. -
No separate visa needed, but if your near anin I would highly recommend a hazmat suit.
You should come up north and see places like this...
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That is beautiful. What is this place?
Oh, and I expect to need a full course of vaccine prior to meeting Anin. -
A place called Buttermere Lake
www.visitcumbria.com/cm/butterm.htm
rest of my photos
www.flickr.com/photos/crpitt/sets/72157602037770384/ -
Your photos are just beautiful! I kept thinking of movies with old Roman walls in them like "Stardust" where the wall is the barrier between the real world and faerie.
It also kind of reminded me of LOTR.
Alright, let the nerd jokes come. I can take it. -
Well I absolutely love LOTR,the books, audio books and films, also have stardust to watch tomorrow, so no jokes from me
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You're seriously watching Stardust tomorrow? I kind of love that movie. I don't it's spectacularly good in any way, but I just love it. Can't explain it.
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Yes the mumborg bought it ages ago, but the DVD player and complicated fancy TV have not played nicely together so I am having a whirl a reconnecting it again! Or give up and watch it on the laptop
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My overly complicated VCR/DVD player is acting up too.
The VCR portion is about to give out. This wouldn't be a big deal, except I have dozens of movies on VCR that I am reluctant to replace. It's expensive to replace them with DVD's! -
I know what you mean, been sorting out cupboards of doom and not sure what to do with all the old videos like disney ones.
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With two kids stitched to my hip, I rarely go anywhere alone. It's all I can do to go to the bathroom in peace. -
I remember as a kid following my mom to the bathroom and talking to her through the closed door.
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My daughter is famous for that. It's actually how we have the majority of our conversations it seems.
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Ah! She sounds like me! Is your daughter super chatty about absolutely everything?
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From the moment she wakes up, until the moment she goes to bed.
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Awww, she sounds adorable.
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I always travel solo (solo backpacking). Other people weigh me down. I truly felt deep loneliness and solitude while on a bus in Mexico headed towards Matamoros (bordertown across from Brownsville, Texas). I felt lonely in a bus packed with people on the way back to my own country. It was weird, unsettling, and profound all at once.-
This is exactly what I am talking about. That sense of isolation like you're static and the world is moving around you. I know, when I was loneliest, I found myself contemplating why it was I was alone.
I chose to travel on my own, but it was difficult to not notice that everyone else was ensconced in familiar ties with friends and loved ones.
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bumpity bump
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I've lived and travelled mostly alone, Still. I remember one vacation I took in 2005 to the island of Jersey. I ate at outdoor cafes in St. Helier, climbed hills, took long walks - I did what I wanted when I wanted. Would it have been more pleasant if I had someone with me - possibly - but the memory of those sunny days is mine alone, something to cherish.-
You make it sound Zen like and idyllic. I suppose its all perspective. For the most part, I really enjoyed traveling alone. I found I am more approachable and open to people when I am alone than if I am with friends or family.
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That is not contributing to the thread.
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I took a vacation alone once and it was really exhilarating. It was so cool not having to check in with my partner about what he preferred to do or to eat or where he preferred to go. That's not to say that I normally feel limited by conferring. It had just been so long since I was on my own that it was a really cool experience. When I got home we were glad to see each other and had a mini honeymoon, during which time we both admitted that we enjoyed our separate vacations.
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I believe couples who can be apart as well as together are the strongest ones. That is so great you had the experience of traveling along. It is freeing! Now, you can go back with your partner and feel content to confer and compromise.
That's how I feel about Paris now. I saw it on my own. I had a great time and next time I go back, I can go with someone else and not feel like I am missing out on anything.
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I have had varying experiences. A while back I studied in England for a summer and took a side trip to Dublin by myself. I had fun, but was definitely lonely and had a hard time meeting people. I got into a routine where I'd sightsee by day, then get dinner, drink a buttload of guiness and catch a late movie.
Recently I went to Chicago by myself for a business conference and I had a great time being by myself. I walked by the lake, went to the aquarium checked out some restaurants. Maybe it has to do with being a little older and more secure, which leads to being happier doing things alone. I also had a much easier time meeting people and making some friends to hang out with a few nights so that helped too.-
Isn't Chicago awesome! Yes, it has to do with age and self confidence too. I found I was so much more open to talking with strangers traveling along than if I was with someone.
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I am traveling to Nepal in august by myself. I'll be living in a village with no fellow foreigners. I am very much looking forward to the experience. Loneliness is inherent in all of us. We all need to come to grips with the reality of being alone. Its OK. Life is beautiful. When you can gather another persons warmth onto you, take advantage.-
Wow, it sounds like you're really an adventurer. Are you doing volunteer work? Is this for a job?
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Volunteer. I would not call myself an adventurer, I'd say I've been a somewhat timid person, chained to a spot as my dreams wandered about. Hopefully this is the beginning, the first step in the life of an adventurer!
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