How to enjoy your cosplay journey alone?

Mostly the same way I enjoy anything else alone I guess, I do it for me. I spent a year-ish living alone and only seeing friends occasionally, and you really learn to just be okay with yourself in that sort of scenario. While I love going to cons with friends, when I'm by myself nothing's stopping me from doing most of the same things. I still shop, flaunt my outfit, and enjoy the event. It helps to make yourself a little more narcissistic when you're alone, show off more, "feel yourself" as the kids would say. You can look awesome even by yourself, so make sure everybody else knows it.

Now I am less likely to stay a long time once I'm done checking all the booths, but that doesn't mean it's a waste to me. Heck I've driven to events an hour from home (I know that's not terribly far but solo it sure feels like it) just to show up at an event by myself for a few hours and then drive all the way back. I would've loved for a friend to join me but when everyone declined I went anyway 'cuz it's what I wanted to do. I understand not everybody has this freedom though.

And I don't think it's abnormal for you to only cosplay at official events. I've only ever done two paid shoots but they were both during a con, not scheduled outside of it. So I wouldn't feel bad for not breaking out your cosplays at other times, if anything that could be seen as more weird to some people.