It’s been a year and a half since my last post, and a lot has changed in that time.  2017 was a rough year for me, mentally and emotionally.  I was unhappy with many aspects of my life- work, relationships, myself; and these feelings spiraled out of control on a few occasions.  In the fall of last year I think I hit my breaking point, and I made a few decisions that have since changed everything.  While the end of last year was spent preparing for these changes, 2018 has been about making them happen.  This year, I quit my job, I traveled solo through Chile and Peru, I moved across the country, I started a new job where I’m mentally stimulated daily, I’ve made amazing new friends, I’ve immersed myself in new experiences.  It’s been an exhilarating journey, and I’m now in a place where I’m extremely happy and simply loving life.

I’ve been wanting to restart this blog for the past few months, but if felt insignificant amid all the other changes in my life.  Though I’ve been reading more books than ever before (I’ve finished 38 so far this year) it seemed silly for me to write a post about a new release, a bestseller, a book club choice.  I wanted my return to this blog to mean something more.  And then I read Alone Time by Stephanie Rosenbloom.

In the book, the author discusses the benefits and enjoyment that can be found in solitude- whether that time alone is spent traveling or in the place you call home.  Told over four seasons in four cities (spring in Paris, summer in Istanbul, fall in Florence, winter in New York) she talks about being present, enjoying the moment, dining alone, embracing curiosity, feeling safe, and much more.  Interspersed among her own thoughts and experiences are references to other sources- both artists who reveled in alone time and psychologists who studied the benefits of it.  I was captivated by this book; as someone who had spent over a month traveling solo and then exploring a new city, it resonated with me on a personal level.  I felt like this book was written just for me, it couldn’t have found me at a more appropriate time in my life.

When I added this book to my Goodreads account I noticed a few negative and mediocre reviews, and at first I was worried that it would be a disappointing read.  However, after finishing the book I feel like those readers maybe didn’t understand the point of the book prior to reading it.  Alone Time isn’t meant to be a travel guide or narrative memoir (as some of the comments alluded to).  It’s meant to focus on how enlightening spending time by yourself can be.  It’s about the little details you notice when your attention isn’t divided between your surroundings and a companion.  It’s about savoring moments that are uninterrupted by aimless conversation.  It’s about learning to be comfortable by yourself- something many adults admit they struggle with.  It’s about embracing mindfulness and being present wherever you are, and finding peace in disconnecting from your smart phone for even just a few minutes.  It’s about embracing curiosity and the spirit of exploration, whether you’re wandering the streets of a foreign city or rediscovering a place at home that you haven’t visited in a while.

I especially enjoyed the last section, when she talks about New York in the winter.  New York is the place she calls home, and she talks about how over the years she had lost a sense of wonder and excitement about the city.  However, as part of her journey in this book and as a follow-up to her solo ventures abroad she makes an effort to explore New York with fresh eyes.  She began what she called tourist Tuesdays: days in which she went out of her way to go somewhere she hasn’t been or explore an attraction on her own.  If something piqued her interest she explored it, she started walking rather than taking the subway, she went to museums by herself.  This section gave me a different mindset on city living, and as I’m adjusting to my new home I’m taking this to heart.

I’m going out of my way to explore neighborhoods I haven’t been to yet, I’m making a point to visit some of the museums and tourist attractions in the area, and I’m taking time to just sit at an outdoor table and savor a drink while enjoying my surroundings without checking my phone constantly.  It sounds simple, but already those are things that have slipped past me in the months since I moved.  Reading Alone Time was a reminder for me to enjoy these moments and to not lose my sense of curiosity, and I’m looking forward to fully appreciating every bit of solitude that comes my way.  This book couldn’t have come at a more perfect time in my life, and I’m using it as the starting point for my next chapter.