Considering how much it costs students to attend college, it’s about time my university gave us a fall break (read: two days off added to the weekend). I intended on using this extra time to catch up on schoolwork, since midterms had drained my energy and made my sleep cycle basically non-existent. However, my tendency to procrastinate had other plans for me. I spent a majority of my break pushing off a lot of the things I needed to do in favor of enjoying the brief reprieve from school.
Since my sisters live in Pittsburgh, my dad was on a trip, and my mom was busy with work and things she had to do this weekend, I spent a lot of time alone (when I wasn’t accompanied by my dog, of course). And I still had a lot of fun over my fall break. Well, maybe ‘fun’ isn’t the right word, but I was happy to do things on my own.
I think the word ‘alone’ generates an automatic negative response from people. No one wants to say they’re alone because it paints them as lacking friends or missing out on the fun experiences had with other people. But ‘alone’ is not the same as ‘lonely.’ I was by myself for a good chunk of the weekend, but I wasn’t sad without any company (which is the definition of being lonely). And quite frankly, I think spending time alone is underrated.
On Friday, I went into town to pick up a roll of film I got developed. I always get excited when photos come back from my film camera because I tend to forget what is actually on the roll—especially this one since most of it was taken from early in the summer. And since I was not going to let my $1.50 for an hour of parking go to waste, I walked to the library from there. I went to just look at their selection, but that quickly turned into checking out three books.
Then on Saturday, I had to travel half an hour to buy 20 pumpkins for an event I was putting together for my sorority (at $2.00 a pumpkin it was worth the trip). But I’ve always enjoyed driving because it’s a great time to just think, and I get full control over the radio. I had no other plans for the day, so I decided to make a stop at my local movie theater before heading home. I sat in the last row of the theater, settled in with my M&M’s and drink, and watched Saturday Night by myself.
Never during my time alone did I feel unhappy or feel like I was missing out on the company of another person. In fact, it proved to myself that I could do hard things on my own. Something about walking into a store and loading up a cart with 20 pumpkins feels awkward, but I did it! Going to the movies and sitting by myself seems embarrassing, but I did that too! I always enjoy hanging out with my friends and family, and it’s important to make time to be with others, but I also love being alone (yes, I said it!) Doing things on my own makes me feel capable and confident, and I think it’s something that anyone can benefit from. So the next time you have a few free hours, consider pushing yourself to do something on your own—even if it feels uncomfortable at first—because I’m sure you’ll learn something about yourself in the process.