Several years ago, I went backpacking in Europe with some friends. Toward the end of our trip, we all split up to check out different cities and countries.
Six weeks on your own gets lonely. Eating alone, walking alone, seeing the cool sights alone. I met up with other backpackers at hostels and took some tours with them, but in the end, it was just me traveling the world. It teaches you something, and I’m glad I did it.
One of many new experiences was attending a movie by myself. Thanks to train schedules, I was stuck an extra day in a French city I’d already seen. I found a hole-in-the-wall movie theater showing American movies in English with French subtitles.Cost: 2 Euro.
Oh the joy! I escaped the hot sun in the cool, dark theater and wrapped myself in the comfort of hearing my own language and seeing familiar faces in Shrek 2 and Harry Potter. I forgot where and who I was, drowning my isolation in the movies. It’s something I’ll never forget.
I recently overheard a girl exclaiming how ridiculous it would be to go to the movies by yourself, and I smiled. I’ve done it, and it was fantastic.
Since returning, I have never gone to the movies alone. Here, it’s a social activity, and I don’t often want to shell out $12-15 for a movie anyway. But I feel like it’s something you should not be afraid to do.
March 30, 2010 at 11:20 am
My ex-boyfriend and I couldn’t decide on which movie we wanted to see at the theater, so we each both went and saw the movie we wanted. It was nice seeing a movie alone, but I like to make comments during the movie, so I had to work hard not to talk to myself.
But it was a relaxing experience and gave me the time to relax, think, and not worry about life.
March 30, 2010 at 11:41 am
I have gone to the movies by myself on multiple occassions over the last several years and I love it. My friends always tease me about but they don’t know what they are missing! I wouldn’t go on a fri or sat night alone, but matinees and weekday nights are fair game. I challenge u to go to dinner by yourself next…its nice to do sometimes and the key is just to be confident about it
March 30, 2010 at 12:21 pm
The “do not go to the movies alone” thing is almost strictly a rule females abide by. Almost every male I know has gone to a movie alone.
Why is it our society thinks you should not eat alone, or go to the movies alone, yet there are no group toilets?
Movies are often personal and many movies are best enjoyed alone. If anyone chides you for attending one alone, ask them the last time they invited a friend to take a gigantic soul-draining dump with them.
March 30, 2010 at 10:43 pm
I love going to movies alone! It’s not like you can talk during a film anyway, and I can treat myself to a random screening time of a movie I really want to see (but usually no one wants to see it with me!).
March 31, 2010 at 9:48 am
Glad to see some support for this idea. And LOL Michael.
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