Enjoying solo travel and solo dining doesn't make me odd does it?

Spot on

Brilliant and congratulations on your new found freedom, enjoy!

Gosh you're so lucky that you CAN dine alone - if I try to do anything alone I get 60 million pr|¢ks almost demanding I do it with them!
And no I'm not trying to be "up myself", I'm being honest. I promise that my neighbour is hit on even more than me!

I'm recently divorced with not much of a social circle. I'm very shy too. But I went to Athens in May and LOVED it. No arguing over directions, no fighting over where to eat, no whinging about how much I was spending on souvenirs. The FREEDOM. The infinite choices I could make for myself. It was bliss.

Also, when dining alone I attracted the attention of other lone diners and conversations were struck. I met a lovely woman from the Netherlands who was a marine biologist and had travelled all over, usually by container ship 😂. She had some great stories.

I plan to do more travelling either by myself or with my teenage daughter tagging along. But mostly alone. I think it's definitely got its advantages.

Solo travel / dining are great - I've done them both lots.

It is astonishing some of the comments you get, always from women - I once went on some work thing which meant staying somewhere overnight (this was in the UK) and some woman said "I'm not like you - I couldn't go and stay in a hotel ON MY OWN". Said with a sort of sneer, like she was rather shocked by my unnatural lack of femininity. Women are often socialized to think that they can't or shouldn't do anything alone, can't cope without a man to protect them, couldn't be happy without a man. Ignore and enjoy!

I go to places other people wouldn't. This year was meant to be Iran. I'm
gutted it didn't come off.

I solo travel (internationally) several times a year for work. Love it, and love eating alone in restaurants.

Absolutely love it, don’t think it’s weird at all. Just feels liberating to me.

I was shocked that someone at work was shocked that I was flying by myself. I mean what's tough about Stansted to Stockholm for someone who manages big projects? I think they'd have needed hospital treatment if I'd been staying there alone instead of visiting family.

I'm an other odd bod.

I'm on holiday on my own right now. I love it. I do wtf I want and no compromises. I went to bed mega early last night as I was shattered. It's 430am where I am and I'm just about to read my book and will head down to the beach when it gets light.

I like holidaying with DH as we have such good chats and conversations spending time together but I get more leave than him so I always go away alone too.

haven't voted because I can't agree with either. Am more than happy to travel alone, in some ways I prefer it to travelling with others, in other ways it's worse. So definitely can't vote YABU.

But I'm not a foodie so don't really enjoy eating out solo and would never describe it as a "great pleasure", rather a last resort option f there was no other way of getting something to eat. I'm perfectly capable of doing it but for me the main benefit of going to a restaurant is for the social element -sharing a meal with friends/family. I find eating out alone boring, so would much rather just grab something on the go/get a takeaway and save time/money.

Hi OP, I've done both and it's liberating and wonderful. Good on you!

Lots of people just can't conceive of travelling alone. Some will even look for travelling companions on the internet. To me, going on holiday with a complete stranger is a lot odder than travelling solo.

I'm a widow. Am I supposed to never go anywhere? I dine alone if away from home. At home if I'm out for the day I'll happily have lunch on my own. When I was having building work done I was out almost daily to get away from them!
Your colleagues are odd to think a huge slice of the population are odd for travelling and eating out alone.

I enjoy going solo to places that I am interested in that everyone else rolls their eyes at! When I did my first solo run I found it a bit awkward on the first day, but once I got my bearings and figured out how to use public transport it was great. The more you do it the more you enjoy it.

I will confess to not liking going out to eat at night alone to any kind of "decent" restaurant. Just me, but it's the one thing that I feel a little uncomfortable doing. I have no problem with quick places like pizza or bistros and best of all an outside seat, but not in a restaurant where the very fact of opening the door has all eyes upon you. I know, I know I shouldn't care but look, no point in doing something to prove something either. I much prefer a long lunch, as I find lunches a lot less formal, well to me they are. I suppose we are all different and have our comfort zones!

Solo travel to places of interest to YOU are the best thing ever. No bored sighs from companions etc. However a fly and flop resort for a few days is nice with someone, since there's usually little else to do except rest and eat, and having someone to talk to is good then.

Just come back from New York. Lots of solo women sitting at the counter in medium/trendy restaurants. Styling it out and it was great to see. Bravo to them.

It’s totally, totally normal to travel alone, eat in restaurants alone, go to the cinema on your own, theatre, concerts, anything.

I usually take a book or my kindle when eating out on my own, and I’ve never tried it in a fancy upmarket place but I don’t usually frequent those anyway. It’s bliss.

I've mostly been single and childless- I've travelled half the world alone. Eaten out alone endless times. There are annoying aspects (having to take all your luggage into the loos, for example,) but you can do just as you wish, no one complaining.

One of my former colleagues was absolutely amazed by this, that I'd go on holiday alone. He thought it meant I was absolutely awesome (rather than stuck with a choice of going alone or not going at all.) It is merely one of many reasons thst made me realise we were not at all similar.

If you're odd, then I am too

Travelling solo, that should say.

I've gone out for dinner by myself and it's been blissful. Haven't done it for many years now, unfortunately, just the odd breakfast or lunch here and there.

I went on holiday with a really shit friend who dumped me half way through for her boyfriend and left me on my own but I still went out every night for dinner and drinks for the remainder of the holiday and had a rather pleasant time. However, this is certainly the reason i no longer holiday with friends though.

I agree with you @JamSandle

Gives you time to think too what is important for oneself in life.

And clear the cobwebs in your mind

I'm still in contact with people I've met travelling, who've become friends.