When was the last time you were truly alone?
Alone with your mind.
Alone with your heart.
Alone with your breath.
Away from friends. From family. From lovers.
Away from your phone. Your facebook. Your blog.
Away from the television. The internet. A book.
Did you feel lonely? Watched? Pitied? Scared?
Or centered? Connected? Loved? Free?
Ever felt completely alone in a crowded room?
Alone in the company of your best friend?
Alone in a relationship you thought would fill you so full?
Ever felt content swimming in the ocean with no one else for miles?
Felt complete staring at the wonder of the world without someone there to distract you?
Felt pride, compassion, self love for doing one thing, anything, on your own and living beyond it?
When I travel, alone, I feel all of these.
Sublime joy.
Deep sorrow.
Exhilaration.
Fear.
But what I feel, is mine and mine alone.
Because we are all alone.
But when our needs are fulfilled, from within, we will never be lonely.
We will always be loved.
We can liberate ourselves from our expectations of others.
And become oh so wholly and deeply complete in our own aloneness.
Because you, alone, are exactly what you need.
i love this post! i’m always enjoyed being alone and living and traveling alone. people tell me i’m weird for liking it so much, but its nice to know that others feel the same
Just keep on loving yourself and your love will flow freely to others 🙂
Hi! I have always followed your friend Andie’s blog and was thrilled when she attached a link to your blog. I just wanted to say “Thank You” for this post. I recently moved for work to an area where I knew no one. That was scary, yet exciting all at the same time. I have found that I love to travel by myself and to explore by myself. Yes…there are times when I think ‘if only I had someone to see this with or to share this experience with, it would be better’, BUT I’ve waited to travel with friends before and it not happened. So it is amazing to book a trip without worrying that someone might cancel! I have learned to appreciate being alone and that is truly the time when I can be me!
So enjoy your travels, enjoy your solo time – And please keep updating! 🙂
Hayley
Thank you Hayley! It is great you are viewing your recent move as an adventure 🙂 Good luck in the new locale, I’ll try to keep sending more inspiration your way!
Love!
Beautiful. And yes, I have.
Loved this! And really needed it today 🙂
nena
YES! beautifully said! just hopped over from andie’s blog about your blog! congratulations!
Thank you Jamie. I hope to do you and my darling Andie proud 🙂
I, too, received the email from Andie regarding your new blog and am glad she sent it. It’s comforting to know others feel the same: alone in a crowded room, alone though with someone who should make the loneliness go away, alone in general, even though the closest people may be around.
I will be a regular reader.
Thanks Brooke I appreciate your support!
Reblogged this on An Account of My Days.
Thanks for the reblog, glad you found it bookmarkworthy 🙂 I’ll be sure to check out your travels as well.
Beautiful writing and images! But really? You think self-sufficiency is the answer to aloneness? If we in ourselves were enough, would we ever even feel alone in the first place? To me, the solution of “find completion in yourself” is equally as elusive (and substantively the same) as “find completion in others.”
Thanks Jean, yes I agree. I hope it doesn’t sound like I am saying we don’t need one another or human connection. Personally, I swing in the opposite direction where I’ve looked to others to fill my needs. My belief is that in finding peace within ourselves, by ourselves, we are in a better place to enjoy the beautiful fulfillment we can find in relationships.
As a long term solo traveler I know what it’s like to be thousands of miles from anything you know and feel completely alone, not even able to have a conversation with anyone around.
It can, on days be crippling, but it makes you appreciate the people in your life.
It makes you realize how important touch is.
I mentioned this to a friend who said that when she came back from 6 months in Ireland her friend hugged her and she cried. Because it had been that long since she had been touched. One of the awesome things about solo travel is that it teaches you to be your own best friend and to be more open to meeting new people.
I love this post! I think that in the modern world, we are rarely alone. I used to hate being alone…and then I got a studio and lived alone for a year, and it was the best year of my life. I grew so much. I’d spend nights just sitting on the couch, staring out the window, without music, phone, or anything. It was peaceful, and I found peace. As time goes on and we neglect to spend time alone, I find myself craving this. I travel alone, and I love it. I go on long road trips alone, and I love it. Soon, I’m moving to a new town, alone, driving 1,800 miles, alone, in the dead of winter, and I couldn’t be more excited! Thank you 🙂
Amy thank you for your comment. You are awesome!!
24 years ago I came to CR. At first all was just fun and emotion to explore and discover… then little by little the loneliness attacked 🙂 It was scary at first but then…. great, because as you (beautifully) describe it, it’s a mix of feelings that let you discover many things hiding withing yourself.
Thanks for sharing Luis. Yes, it’s so very true. I’ve found myself seeking loneliness many times on my trip in Southeast Asia. Then when I find it it’s scary and well… lonely… but I know that we need it sometimes in order to center ourselves, to reflect, and to grow. xo
Beautifully written truth.
You are very uplifting.
Thank you Micaela 🙂