“The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready, and it may be a long time before they get off.”

— Henry David Thoreau | Walden, 1854

Many of us travel with friends or family more often than we travel alone. An unfortunate consequence is that your freedom to explore hangs on the speed, opinions, or preferences of your travel partner. Simple tasks like choosing a restaurant for the evening can feel like being mired in quicksand when you’re with a group of friends. Walking with a lot of people seems to get slower and slower as your group size increases.

I’ve noticed this phenomenon outside of travelling as well. Business decisions can take much much longer with a partner. Any quick task can eat up more time than you’re willing to give if you have to wait on the actions of others.

So if you’re waiting to take that trip to Japan, try going by yourself! If you’re excited about snowboarding this season, pack up and go alone if your friends are too busy. If you can’t find somebody to go the movie theater on a given night, go anyway. Obviously socializing is great, but don’t let everyone else’s schedule dictate your life if you can help it. Head out on your own, and there’s nothing stopping you from starting today.

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