There is one interesting interpretation of the Fermi paradox regarding galactic colonization. Given the accelerating rate of technological progress it is arguably possible to colonize a nearby planet within 10,000 years by using a non-ftl method of propulsion. Some variant of project Daedalus or Orion perhaps. If we assume that each planet we colonize can colonize another planet in another 10,000 years then the entire Galaxy should be inhabited by humans within 10 million years(I haven't done the math yet because I'm om mobile.)

So if any other civilization in our galaxy has advanced to our level of technology more than 10 million years ago, which isn't that long in astronomy, they should have spread across the Milky Way by now. One would think that detecting a culture spread across the galaxy should be much easier than a lone planet with life. But where are they?

Personally, I suspect this means we must be amongst the first in our galaxy. An alternative possibility that I like is that technology develops in such a way that physically spreading in our universe/reality becomes unnecessary to long term survival.