Party of One?

With the celebration of Memorial Day summer can finally begin, and with summer comes vacation. Whether it is a vacation with family or friends or maybe a combination of the two, summer vacations usually promise to be a good time for all. But after reading the Times Magazine article, Yes, Please | Party of One, the idea of taking a vacation solo seems quite interesting. The author of the article, Andrew O'Hagan opens with, "The first rule of travel is that you should always go with someone you love, which is why I travel alone." 

Vacations are often so built up by families or friends who cannot wait to experience them together, but because of these high expectations that are set, vacations often disappoint and fall short of the desires one has for the trip. However, if one travels alone, there are only the expectations of one to fulfill and the desires that one has can only be met by the individual themselves. 

O'Hagan writes about a myth of traveling alone, feeling lonely. He also writes about the satisfaction that comes from being able to make decisions for yourself, whether that's skipping a trip to a museum or sleeping in late one morning. 

While I haven't done much solo traveling myself it is certainly something I'd like to try one day, but there is something that I still think I will always love about sharing a vacation with people I love. Traveling by oneself certainly tests one's self-motivation and independence. You can test your own limits and learn new things about yourself as a solo traveler. 

What do you think? Party of one? Party of many? What are your summer vacation plans?