From the Road - Loners

From the Road - Loners

So the past week I have ridden in isolation, Molly left in San Francisco and I was able to keep heading south, however by myself with only my thoughts. A few years ago I lived abroad for about 10 months, half of which I was with my best friend and brother Rob, the other half I was on my own. I learned a lot about myself and what thoughts appear when you have no one else to constantly distract yourself with. Many of my friends in Spain thought of me as a loner, which I think comes with a negative connotation. I liked to be with friends, but the rest of my days I spent alone, walking the city, jogging, or reading a book in a tiny café. I am bringing all this up because I am once again alone, and although here everyone speaks English and I am running into more people that want to know about what I am doing than the past 3 weeks together, it has reminded me of those times where I was isolated. I only bring it up because I want to dispel the myth that loners are odd or deviant, which many think to be the case. Loners are simply people who can be alone, without real interaction, and still enjoy their life, and by real I don’t mean the small chat at the grocery with the cashier.

The past few years I have fed off the constant attention of those around me, living in a place with many friends and social distractions, and although that is normal and alright, I still seem to utterly enjoy this time alone. Don’t twist my words here, I loved being on this trip with Molly, I wish she was still here, and in a sense we were both alone although together, but what I am saying is there is a lot of value in finding time every day to think to yourself. Now it helps to really find these thoughts by being forced to, as well as being in an amazing place like riding your bike down the sunny coast of California, but never the less, they are thoughts that only arise once you have no one else to talk to. I think that’s what sets loners apart; they are comfortable with their thoughts, and the sounds and noises around them. I know that anyone that knows me is reading this and cannot believe my words, most would say I talk to much, or never quite talking, but there is a side here that is at home. There is a lot you learn about your life and yourself when you have nothing but time to contemplate everything that occurs in front of you. Bike touring is amazing because the scenery is always changing, but at a very slow pace. You can pass a sight, or smell, or sound and think about it, and even turn your head back to experience it all over again. These isolated experiences are unique ones in which no one else has experienced the exact same thing at that moment in time, and this allows you to see the world from your eyes and your point of view alone.

I guess the whole point of this thought is that there is a value to these moments when we are alone, and that although some would say happiness is only real when shared, we all need to know that we can find that happiness within, to share with those around us. So next time you find yourself alone, take a look around and you may notice amazing things that you have never noticed before.