This summer I interned in Easton, PA and because I’m from California I lived by myself in a one-bedroom apartment. Now I was very nervous to live by myself for a number of reasons. The most obvious: murderers. But other than that, I was living in a town I didn’t know, I knew no one, had to learn the bus system and of course starting an internship is the best way to make someone nervous. My mom drove me to the airport and, she’ll kill me for admitting this, but we held hands and cried for a good part of the ride. Somehow being away for the summer was much hard than being gone all semester.
After I moved in (at 5 pm on the Sunday before I started my internship, mind you), got over my fear of someone breaking in, and learned tha,t yes you have to pull the cord for the bus to stop AND to not be on the phone with your sister while getting on the bus because you are guaranteed to get on the wrong bus, I rather enjoyed living by myself and learned a whole lot about myself.
You see this past year was hands downs the hardest year of my life and I was so nervous and scared to be completely by myself, but being by myself was actually the best thing that could have happened to me. It gave me time to recover mentally and physically. I also discovered that I very much thrive on being by myself. Don’t get me wrong, I love people, but there’s something so refreshing about going for walks by yourself, eating at restaurant by yourself, and really just learning that being alone doesn’t necessarily mean you’re lonely. Sometimes you’re your best company.
However, there is one downside with being by yourself, especially as young girl. This was the first time in my life that any time I went outside to go to the park or go to work men on the street or in cars would say crude and unsettling things to me that filled me with anxiety. I didn’t include this to rant about catcalling, but it was a big part of me growing up this summer. I learned that I was completely alone and it was critical that I pay attention to my surroundings and I hate to say it, but realize that it might not be the best idea to walk around outside after dark because, although my dad’s on the phone, he can only do so much when an older man tries to touch my arm at the cross-walk (yes that did happen, sorry for the heart attack dad). You hear this all the time, but for me personally I always brushed off because “it will never happen to me”. However, most of these events happened in broad daylight so who knows what could happen after the sun goes down. I think it’s just important to understand and be aware of.
Overall, this summer was exactly what I needed. If you ever get the chance to move to a new area and live by yourself, I highly recommend it because you’ll learn a lot about yourself and how to navigate being independent.
Oh, and if you ride the bus become friends with the drivers because there’s no better way to make your day than when they see you walking to catch another bus and honk excitedly to get your attention so they can say hi or say “good morning sunshine” when you get on the bus!
I love you forever Easton, PA!