This is a kinda embrassing question to ask so pls don’t judge.
I did have moments where I like… went to the local library alone, or like an all day school trip or something…
But I never really like… explored outside alone… especially far from home…
So like… I feel scared about the idea of like… just going for a walk all by myself…
I realize I’ve always just asked parents to drive me somewhere so I never got a chance to just get in the habit of being by myself.
I don’t have a driver’s license so I don’t really have like a car to “retreat to”, if you know what I mean, like as in sort of “castle”.
How do I even “feel safe” just being outside on my own? For context I’m non-white so it’s… kinda intimidating… especially in the current context of US political atmosphere.
One of the best things my parents ever did for me was let me start riding a bicycle to school in high school. I’d walked to and from elementary but that was only a few blocks away, high school was miles away.
I rode about 16 miles a day, across busy streets and through neighborhoods and a state college, and it didn’t take long before I was going much father than that for recreation on the weekends too.
When I was on my own as an adult, I was ready.
If you’re not ready yet, you will get there. Start small, push your comfort zone a little bit every day, pretty soon it will feel normal.