Alone Time: Four Seasons, Four Cities, and the Pleasures of Solitude

Written by Stephanie Rosenbloom

Narrated by Stephanie Rosenbloom

"In Paris (or anywhere else, really) a table for one can be a most delightful place." --Alone Time, as seen in The New York Times

A wise, passionate account of the pleasures of traveling solo

In our increasingly frantic daily lives, many people are genuinely fearful of the prospect of solitude, but time alone can be both rich and restorative, especially when travelling. Through on-the-ground reporting and recounting the experiences of artists, writers, and innovators who cherished solitude, Stephanie Rosenbloom considers how being alone as a traveller--and even in one's own city--is conducive to becoming acutely aware of the sensual details of the world--patterns, textures, colors, tastes, sounds--in ways that are difficult to do in the company of others.

Alone Time is divided into four parts, each set in a different city, in a different season, in a single year. The destinations--Paris, Istanbul, Florence, New York--are all pedestrian-friendly, allowing travelers to slow down and appreciate casual pleasures instead of hurtling through museums and posting photos to Instagram. Each section spotlights a different theme associated with the joys and benefits of time alone and how it can enable people to enrich their lives--facilitating creativity, learning, self-reliance, as well as the ability to experiment and change. Rosenbloom incorporates insights from psychologists and sociologists who have studied solitude and happiness, and explores such topics as dining alone, learning to savor, discovering interests and passions, and finding or creating silent spaces. Her engaging and elegant prose makes Alone Time as warmly intimate an account as the details of a trip shared by a beloved friend--and will have its many readers eager to set off on their own solo adventures.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Audio
• Release date: Jun 5, 2018
• ISBN: 9780525630692

Reviews for Alone Time

[librarycin · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

2.25 stars

The author travelled to Paris, Istanbul, and Florence, then back home to New York, and did a number of things solo. In Paris, much of what she did (or at least wrote about) was eating/food. In Istanbul, ???. In Florence, museums/art.

I think I added this to my tbr for the travelling solo aspect, as I have travelled solo (well, mostly on cruises), so I was disappointed in this one. Really it seemed to be more about the food (Paris) and the art (Florence) than anything else, and I just found that boring. There were parts where she brought in interesting tidbits about travelling alone, and the last chapter was the most interesting (at least for me), as that’s when she (finally!) focussed on travelling solo, in general. She did include a good “Tips and Tools for Going It Alone”, which I think could be useful.

[spinsterrevival · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an interesting mixture of travelogue along with factoids about people doing things solo. I appreciated reading about visiting museums alone especially since it’s very rare for me to be with anyone I know in a museum, and I’ve treasured wandering them by myself. The author visits Paris, Istanbul, and Florence all for writer/reporter reasons and then New York as a resident. I don’t think I’ve felt so much of the “writer reasons” in other books as I did here, and it put me off of it. Having an empathy with and even just liking the author is important to me, and I realized that what felt like pretentiousness to me was what put me off as well.

[bookworm12_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is definitely more of a travel memoir than a meditation on alone time, but I enjoyed it. The author breaks one year into her time in four cities: Paris, Istanbul, Florence, and New York. I've traveled to all but one of those and I loved revisiting them through her descriptions. I do agree that traveling alone is empowering and wonderful. You enjoy museums, eating, and sightseeing in a whole new way. 

On dining alone while traveling:
“When you’re not sitting across from someone, you’re sitting across from the world.”

[seasidereader · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Yes, the concept isn't new, but as someone who is already comfortable being and traveling alone, I still found value in revisiting these pleasures through the author's experience, especially at the start of a new year when intentions are set.
- The potential in slowing down and noticing places & details overlooked in our daily routines;
- The discoveries awaiting by wandering off the well-traveled path;
- The joy of savoring small moments without pressure of time.
Alone Time inspired me to initiate monthly rambling I am calling "wander Wednesdays".