Solitude vs loneliness

So, this may come as a surprise to some of you, but I was not exactly what you could call "popular" growing up. Shocking, I know. It meant that I spent a fair amount of time alone, and I've always had a pretty small circle of friends. (You know who you are.) Not all of the time alone, however, was lonely.

I'm traveling for work for the next couple of days, and I just got in today (Sunday). After getting settled in at the hotel, I took myself out for dinner, and had an absolutely wonderful time. It wasn't the food - fairly average Thai food that desperately needed more heat, but very good tea - but being able to sit and read and people-watch on my own was just the kind of breath I needed to take.

The last few weeks have been stressful (more than usual, I mean), and I feel like I've been running a hundred miles an hour for way too long. Just taking a couple of hours to sit alone, reading and not worrying about everything around me, was what I needed.

I miss Eric, of course, and the kitties. I'll be happy to go home. At the same time, I'm really glad I'm getting the opportunity to revel in some solitude, rather than wallowing in loneliness. At least, not right now - tomorrow night might be a completely different story.