When I was little, I used to dream about living alone. I know it sounds odd. Most little girls want their Prince Charming, a picket fence, and a couple of kids or fur babies to fill up the yard. Me?
I wanted a horse ranch in the middle of nowhere or a deserted island where I could live out my days in peace, far away from the people who would do nothing but bring me pain. But now I am independent, and this is how I really feel about living alone:
1. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be, but I wouldn’t change a thing
Being alone has its advantages and disadvantages. Some people might like the solitary existence and would never seek to change it. Others grow lonely in their singularity.
I think it really depends on our personalities, like whether we are extroverted or introverted, dog-people or cat-people, and so on. But there could be other reasons people choose to live alone, despite hating it: they don’t want to get hurt or dependent on another person.
2. Living alone is the one-way highway to learning responsibility
I am used to being alone. Independence was not that hard to learn when I finally stepped into this world without backing from my parents. Most people struggle with the idea of “adulting,” like cleaning the house, paying bills, buying groceries, and doing routine maintenance.
I basked in it. For me, it was that self-sustainability I have always lusted after. But if you are not used to doing things on your own, then living alone is one nightmare after another.
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3. Living alone but not lonely (most of the time)
Introverts will agree with me on this one. When you need your space, nothing is better than your own home. The home is a sanctuary that can bring peace to weary souls. When I lived with other people, I was always on edge. I could not find a moment of quiet.
Yet, there are times where I want to open my door, walk into the living room, and see someone, like my father, sitting there to talk to him. Living alone can separate you from the people you love, or it can contribute to your lack of a social circle because no roommate equals no random parties.
4. Living alone is a lot of work
So, I mentioned this before, but living alone means everything is up to you. For people who live within 1 hour of their family, this is not as dire of a situation as those who are like me and are about a 14-hour airplane flight away from anyone who can bail you out of hardships.
Sure, I have friends, but when you need family, they are too far away. Because of that, my first flat tire, my first late bill, and the time the kitchen pipes ruptured were all up to me to deal with. I couldn’t scream for my parents to help, I needed to suck it up and work through the issues like an adult.
5. Living alone means living simply
One thing that makes me love being on my own, though, is that I can live as I want. There is no other routine to clash with mine (or the lack thereof). There is no one to swear at when they hop in the shower before me. No one to clean up after. I can do what is needed as it comes to mind and never worries about offending another individual. It is a simple pleasure, but it really means a lot.
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A lot of people leave the nest to live in a dormitory, then move in with a significant other, get married, and then share a house with kids, spouses, and animals. They never learn what it means to just be content in their own presence; to relying solely on themselves. I think more people should live alone once in a while. Who knows what you will learn about the world or yourself?
