Just Go By Yourself

Back in the day, you could not have paid me to sit at a restaurant, see a flick at the cinemas or go to a gig... alone. 😮‍💨

Hello? I'll look like a sad sack of potatoes?!?! Even at a pub, if my mate left to go to the loo for five minutes, I'd freak, going straight to the crutch that is my phone. Look busy look busy look occupied don't look like a lonely loser.

Why are we all so petrified of not being surrounded by people in the public eye? 

First, I went solo travelling. Basically, I was forced to eat alone, see movies alone, go to gigs alone, and some.

Then I moved to a new city where I didn't know a soul.

I've learnt pretty quickly that life is for living and sometimes, you just have to go by yourself.

No matter if you're new in town, travelling the world, don't have a lot of mates or everyone's just busy, here's your push.

One of your fave bands is playing this Friday. Go by yourself. Chat to people in the line at the bar, in the bathroom. Compliment someone's outfit in the crowd. I always bring my dadcam (a handy cam from the early 2000's) and film some of the band because:

a) I get bangin' footage and,

b) the dadcam is the icebreaker of the century. So many people will compliment it and spark up a chat. Boom. There's a potential new mate to go to the next gig with. Result.

You really wanna try that restaurant. Go by yourself. No one will nick chips from you. You don't have to share dessert. Bring a book or your journal. Do some people-watching. 

There's an art installation that you've always wanted to suss. Go by yourself.

There's a new skatepark near you. Go by yourself.

What about a trip overseas? Nah, you have no one to go with you so might as well skip the trip of a lifetime... Sorry if that didn't come across as sarcasm but... Go 👏🏼by 👏🏼yourself👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼.

No matter if you're looking for a new crowd of mates or have a million that are busy or uninterested, it's time we stop feeling like a loser when we're alone and instead feel like an independent beast. Life is for living so stop waiting around and go live it, by yourself.