Seawave, I can totally relate to you. I'm single and will soon live alone...by myself. A year ago, that concept would have scared me rigid, but it's how you spend your alone time. I have mates, a few very dear to me, but any more than a couple of hours and I'm crying out for peace and quiet and to be by myself.
In the past, we've been to the pub, and after, I've walked home by myself, even though there was a car going my direction, just so I could be alone. For me, so long as I'm happy, and my mates understand, there is no problem. They know I need a lot of space and time to myself, and they accept it. They know that by letting me have as much of my own space as I need, the friendship is better and never strained.
Another example, I spent a year in Switzerland about 5 years back. I went with noone, for a job there for 13 months. I knew noone bar the office staff who interviewed me for the job, I didn't speak the language initially and I had no idea what there was to do. I sat for 6 months of those 13 and waited, because I was scared to do stuff alone. Then I decided to travel one weekend. And it was brilliant. And I travelled every weekend after that, every single weekend something, and I loved it. I worried that I'd be judged for exploring alone, but that went quickly and hands down it's my choice of way to do things.
Don't get me wrong, I love to be with mates and do things together, sometimes, but there is nothing that will stop me doing something by myself if I want that me time. 5 years on, and I regularly takes days off work and go off somewhere by myself, to recharge and just for a bit of alone time, and it's bliss.
Bottom line, I think you're fine. I can't help with feeling irritated, I get that too, so let me know when you get an answer! When that happens for me, that my time to politely excuse myself and go my own way for a bit.
