There is great power in spending time alone. From allowing yourself to think and reflect without distractions, all the way to boosting your confidence, relationships, and creativity. Knowing this, I decided to start taking Solo Sunday day trips this summer.
While driving on I-74, I would always pass the Carnegie Museum sign and wanted to stop, only no one ever wanted to make the pit stop with me. So, it made perfect sense for me to just spend the day and go alone to check it out, which I did.
Crawfordsville, Indiana
My first trip was to Crawfordsville, Indiana where I visited the Rotary Jail Museum, the Carnegie Museum of Montgomery County and had a nice browse through a fashionable consignment shop and Goodwill.
I took my time and thoroughly enjoyed the day. I even enjoyed a quick meal of my choice without having to compromise with everyone in the family. The day was simply amazing.
I was able to enjoy things that I had an interest in without having to drag others along that didn’t genuinely want to be there and come up with several blog post ideas for the coming weeks.
Champaign, Illinois
A few weeks later, I set off on another Solo Sunday adventure. This time, I headed out in my flowy, yellow summer dress to a beautiful sunflower field. I was so excited to go because it was something that I had added to my summer bucket list prior to summer.
Not only did I enjoy the visit through a portion of the sunflower maze, but I also stopped for an ice cream cone at an ice cream parlor that I have often passed, but promised myself that I would stop. The day was beautiful, relaxing, and great for putting my mind in place to tackle the coming week.
Benefits of Solo Trips
While these are the only two Solo Sunday day trips I have taken this summer, my intentions are to plan one each month. Taking these trips makes me feel happy and energized. I also feel a sense of great motivation and inspiration for the coming week.
In fact, as I was doing some research recently, and came across an online article from Fast Company entitled, “Why your career could use a solo weekend trip”. The article made perfect sense, not only for your career well-being, but you’re overall well-being, as well.
The following paragraph from the article stood out most to me, so I want to share this here.
The Power of Solitude
“We often attach a stigma to solitude, equating it with loneliness, but solitude and loneliness are very distinct. Solitude can be liberating, for both introverts and extroverts. When we seek solitude by choice, it can have profound health benefits and makes us more creative. In her 2012 TED talk, author Susan Cain noted that “Solitude is a crucial ingredient often to creativity.”
Although this particular article emphasizes solo weekends, I’m going to stick to my day trips for now. Whether it’s a day or an entire weekend, taking the time for you is very powerful for so many different reasons – those mentioned and those not mentioned.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for other reasons to persuade you into taking your own solo day trip or weekend trip, check out this YouTube video I watched last week from Lewis Howe’s interview with Jesse Itzler. Towards the end, Jesse tells of a friend who intentionally plans time away for himself consistently and the benefits that it brings.
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