Solo in Austin

Doing things solo is a way of life for me. Whether it is running, cycling, eating, shopping, traveling.

I like it this way because there is no pressure to please other people, something I do most every day of my life, whether with my family, my employers, my students, my mother. I don't mind doing things to please others, but there is always that pressure of disappointing them no matter what I do. When I have only myself to please, I can run as fast or as slow as I want without worrying about whether my partner can keep up with me, or vice versa. I can plan a fabulous itinerary and either follow it to the letter or diverge at any point without hearing a litany of complaints before, during, and after each turn in the road. I can choose the restaurant ~ and, no, it WILL NOT be fast food!

Some people may feel sorry for me and some may envy me. And they all may be the same group of people. There are many people out there that for some reason are afraid to be alone; but, the same people, strangely enough, are still intrigued by it, or anyone who can do it well. I don't understand what they are afraid of: the silence of soloing it, maybe, or that other people will look on in pity and think, "Oh, that poor person is by herself?" I admit to a certain phobia of eating at restaurants by myself. But I have learned how to overcome that fear, and have actually learned how to enjoy it.

So here I am again, traveling solo. This time, in Austin.

I arrived with a vague idea of what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go. My main responsibility is to get my son safely ensconced at his baseball camp. Once I complete that task, I am free to roam.