This could be an interesting thread.
My first solo post-PPL flight was 18 months after the flight test - went to the US New Jersey and bought an Archer (I'd learned in a 172), did a familiarisation and flight review, then three touch and goes (first solo) and then 480 mile single leg cross country to North Carolina through the Washington zone en route and an overflight of Kitty Hawk on my way down to Barbados - seemed fairly straight forward - only afterwards was I told there was anything odd about it - was told afterwards that I should have been doing short trips to nearby airports - my view was it was nothing too difficult the only unfamiliar did was landing at an airport I didn't know.
The naysayers were rather unhappy when I said why go thirty miles, I can drive that sort of distance just as quickly if not quicker - and if I want to fly I'd rather be in the circuit trying to break my record for three touch and goes and a landing, much better than flying short distances in a straight line.
Oddly, probably the most fun flight I've ever done.