I was on the phone with my sister, as I often am, and she started to make fun of me, as she often does, this time for watching the hit ABC reality TV show The Bachelor by myself. She insisted it’s better to watch in a group with friends or roommates. I tried to explain to her that, shockingly, I’ve yet to find anyone willing or interested enough to set aside almost two hours every Monday night to watch a Day Trader turned aspiring musician try to find love amongst 30 women.
Despite my friends and roommates’s apathy to the show, I couldn’t miss out on a season of rose ceremonies and group dates. So, I’ve had no choice but to watch Grant and his original songs alone. To my surprise, I’ve actually begun to relish my solo routine of settling into my lofted twin to watch the show every Monday night. In fact, I’ve started to look forward to it; it gives me something to look forward to early in the week.
Having this small tradition with myself has been more fulfilling than I ever would have anticipated. Turns out, I’m great company! I love having the freedom to skip through the boring one-on-ones or pause to write down some absurd quote to write to my sister.
I’m lucky to say that I hardly do things alone; my friends and I have dinner together almost every night and I come back to two roommates eager to talk about our days, dreams last night, or practically anything else. So, having this solitary time is not only a good lesson in doing things by myself, but also time for the introvert in me to recharge my social battery.
I think it’s natural to want companionship in our customs, whether it’s going to the grocery store or getting nails done, but it’s easy to look past the value (and fun) in solo adventures. While I do adore doing practically anything with my friends, I also enjoy having things just for me. For example, every time I travel alone, especially at night, I like to buy myself a Starbucks hot chocolate and a pastry. It makes going through TSA less tedious because I know there’s a dessert and a downloaded rom-com waiting for me on the other side.
Although I knew I would grow in college and learn the importance of doing things for myself (and by myself), I never anticipated I would learn that lesson from The Bachelor.
