No matter what stage in life one is in, it is imperative for individuals to learn how to be alone. Not in the sense that you sit in your room, house or apartment alone, but truly and completely be the only person for miles.
I think of the times that I spend on long drives or solo camping trips into the wilderness. Although there are moments when having one or more companions on these trips is desirable, there is something to be said for the need to rely on yourself and yourself alone. It is going through this challenge that gives one the feeling of greatest success when the return to civilization is made.
Isolation can be frightening. I often find that during my 15 hour drives or three day solo camping trips I will begin to imagine every possibility where something could go wrong. When it's night time and your miles away from any known person and all of a sudden you hear a pack of coyotes not half a mile away, your imagination tends to begin to run wild and then all of a sudden you question why you keep choosing to go alone. The benefit comes when you wake up the next morning and realize that you're fine and that there was nothing to be afraid of in the first place because coyotes are more afraid of humans than we are of them.
These journeys involving physical isolation often teach lessons on self reliance that are necessary if one wishes to be successful. The necessities of pre-planning and providing for oneself motivate individuals to be patient and adapt to many different situations.
Find time to be alone. Discover it. Celebrate it. Learn from it.
