Flying Solo

I just got back from a trip to Cincinnati, which was supposed to branch off to Columbus as well, but I ended up having to postpone that segment.  And this trip was a complete solo mission.

I'd gotten used to doing things independently growing up, being an only-child and all, and must say, I enjoy the certain freedoms that come along with flying solo.  But in the same breath, you get the feeling that something's missing when you realize that altogether you've been driving for about 12 hours by yourself.


When we're on our big group trips to various Carolina's, if one person has to use the restroom, then we stop.  We all try to go while we're stopped to cut down on stops, but sometimes the timing doesn't always work out perfectly.  I'm not saying that it's a bad thing making multiple stops, but one of the perks of taking a solo trip, is that I only stopped when I needed to go.  In fact on the way down there I only stopped to pee once and it was a rather NASCAR-esque stop taking about a minute and then I was back on the road.  And for the most part, that's one of the biggest things I noticed taking this trip by myself, was that I was the only one that determined the pace.

The other benefit that I noticed from taking this trip alone, especially because it was at a sporting event, was that it kind of forced me to interact with the people around me.  I love meeting new people and just having a good time, but sometimes my shyness takes over and I end up just talking to the person I go with.  When you go to a sporting event with your friends or family, it's easy to just sit there and talk amongst yourselves rather than opening yourself up so you might make new friends.  I'll be delving into the awesome people I hung out with at the game when I recount the trip itself in my next post, but I'll just say that it was a very rewarding experience.

Since this trip was considerably shorter than originally anticipated I didn't get to experience the other perks of going a trip alone.  It mostly just ends up being a more private and personal experience.

But that can be a double-edged sword.  While it's nice to get away and do your own thing, it's still so much more fun when you can share that experience with someone.  While I had a great time with the people that were sitting around me, after returning from the trip, I don't have anyone to reminisce with about that obnoxious Dolphins fan or the drunk guy that was dating a girl that could have been his daughter or how frustrating it was when 75 was narrowed down to one lane.  To me, a trip is all about sharing the experiences with people that are close to you.

And it's not just the experiences that you share when you go on trips with other people.  It's the expenses and the driving duties.  Again, this trip ended up getting cut short, but I still got pretty tired towards the end when I was driving home.  It would have been nice to have someone to take over for a little bit. (the song "Jesus Take the Wheel" comes to mind).

As far as the expenses go, it didn't really bother me.  I mean, I knew that I'd be going by myself and knew that I'd be paying for the gas each time and had I gotten a hotel room when I would have paid for that as well.  The only time that expenses bother me on a trip is when someone you're with doesn't pay their part, so expense sharing doesn't really apply to this trip.

Though I got some weird looks when I told people I had driven to Cincinnati to go to a football game by myself, I had an amazing time and would do it again.  Though it might be nice to have someone to talk to during the car ride.