I did a bunch of solo-traveling in the late 90s and early 00s. It was a magic time. No smartphones. Internet was still niche. You take a train. Find a hostel. Meet some folks. Party together. Check out some sites then go on to the next city.

Back then the only pictures I saw of Prague were in a travel guide. Navigating a city meant looking at maps and asking people. Smoking cigarettes was a great way to meet people. Today that discovery is sort of dead.

I noticed young people don't go out as much as I did early in my life. In my small sample size of questioning this they reasons were: It's too expensive to drink at a bar, a good night costs $200. Dating happens exclusively through apps so what's the point.

So much of my going out was motivated by discovery of the unknown. You can see everything there is to see on your phone in seconds, including people experiencing it in an endless feed. I'm not old man ranting, it's just different then when there was no info.

My adventures solo thru Europe and N. Africa were outstanding and I grew so much in self confidence and an understanding of my personal abilities. I wish I took more trips, and hit up the 1980's music scene in England. Small towns were the best.