Why I Travel Alone
There are always parties, networking opportunities, friends to get to know, and more every single week of my life, but one thing is certain – I can’t be pinned down.
Whenever I go to conventions, parties, clubs, meetups, etc. I almost ALWAYS travel alone – by choice. It started with things like when I was young if I wanted to go hiking or salsa one day, and couldn’t find anyone to go with. I was then forced to go alone, or not go at all. As this scenario occurred more often with different activities I realized it wasn’t such a bad thing. Recent sites like Meetup and Twitter make it easier to find these groups, but I never had these when I was in High School and College, so I’ve just learned to be independent, and its made me a better and more productive person. Here’s how:
Attending events alone forced me to be social. It literally broke down my ‘shy wall’. I meet hundreds of people at some of these gatherings, and most come from a simple cold approach. It’s made me more confident, more outgoing, and better at speaking to people, period. Approach anxiety stops people from doing great things, meeting great people, and creating great opportunities. Over this by taking it head on.
No one decides my day for me. No one to argue with or entertain. I remember when I was at ASCAP’s ‘I Create Music Expo‘ last year how I was able to meet people left and right, attend all the sessions, go to all the networking events, and never have to worry about others pulling me behind. There were bands that attended the Expo who didn’t meet the people I met, or move as quick as me. In fact, one band even got into a huge argument and wound up leaving the Expo. Weird – but not that being in someone’s company holds me back, it keeps me on a path other than my own, and I can’t have that.
I’m able to attend more events and/or sessions. This is huge, and I equate it sometimes to a big company vs. a small company. Naturally, small companies have a faster turn around, less baggage, and are more productive.
I’m more independent. As you grow older you have bills to pay, errands to run, and that means you have to be reliable. So what happens when your backs against a wall and you have to step up to the plate during a time of high stress and high tension? You see, doing things alone forces me to be creative, free thinking, independent, strong, and confident. Not that being in a group hinders me from doing these things, but being independent seems to put things in a different perspective.
I never had tons of friends growing up. In fact, its part of the reason why I started playing guitar in the first place – to have a companion. But its funny how things work out – the irony is that I now have an entire community of 1,000′s who are constantly keeping in touch with me, hanging out with me, and looking up to me. Last night I attended an amazing RockBand party, after speaking at BarCampPhilly, and then I went to another party later that night. I recently had a blast at NYTVF, TechDrinks, and Karaoke :) I attended all these events alone, but by the time I left I made new friends, met amazing people, and even learned a thing or two.
Ultimately, there’s times to go in groups, and times to go alone. But showing up alone at a party, bar, or Expo isn’t a bad thing. The irony is that its probably the best thing I’ve learned to do.
So tell me – do you enjoy going to places alone?
Related Posts:
Donate
Become A Fan
Join My Youtube
Listen To My Music
Pingback: First impressions strike more than once. | Walt Ribeiro >> Internet's Music Teacher
Pingback: For Orchestra! » 52 different weeks
Pingback: For Orchestra » Blog Archive » Killing Creativity. Why Are We Playing It Safe?