Hello Reddit, me(23M) and my(20F) have been together for 10 months, and I have a question regarding an issue I am having with her regarding personal space(we have had several conversations about this as well). We see each other Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. Thursdays and Fridays are the days we do not see each other. I am someone who needs to have space in order to "recharge", because once I don't have space for a while I start to feel anxious and suffocated. When we don't see each other, I'll typically stay home and either code, solder, or play some video games with my friends.
Here is the problem though: even before we started dating, I always enjoyed going out and doing activities on my own. I've always enjoyed my own company, and would go alone to the movies, dinner, hiking, traveling, etc, but she does not like that and feels that if it's an activity that is typically done as a couple, why would I not invite her. I tell her that the majority of the time we will be doing those activities as a couple, however, there will be times where I want to go do that on my own. Not because I don't appreciate her as my girlfriend or don't cherish her, but because I like doing things by myself as well. She feels like me going on my own and then with her makes the experience with her less special. However, I don't feel that that's true. My experience by myself will be different than with her. It doesn't mean that one is better than the other, they are just different. Due to this, she will feel hurt and start crying because she says that when she goes alone somewhere, she thinks, "Wow I wish he was here to see this and experience this with me". She says that she feels that I don't think about her at all. I told her that I do, but I just enjoy my own company as well.
It sucks because then it makes me feel like I can't go do something I want because she will get hurt if I go watch a movie on my own, for example. She says she is not telling me I can't go live my life, but her reactions make me feel that way and I hate seeing her cry. I don't know what to do. We see each other the majority of the week and I wish she understood the importance of me still being able to go do things on my own. She says that sometimes she feels like I would be better off single. I just wish she understood that it is normal for couples to go do activities on their own. It does not mean that I don't love her or anything. I've just always been independent and need to still be able to be me on my own. I am thinking of traveling to Washington next month, and I would want to go by myself because she is not working right now, so if I were to take her, I'd have to pay for everything. I know if I tell her that I am planning on going by myself, she is going to get hurt, but I am able to travel right now in my life. I don't want to wait around until she can. What do I do Reddit?
TL;DR: Need space, but girlfriend feels hurt when I want to do other activities on my own.