Not Easy, but Definitely Worth It!
When people hear that I live in a one-bedroom apartment on my own, they’re always curious to hear about my experience. While there are pros and cons to living alone, the past six months have been a great learning experience for me. I’m happy to share with everyone how my relationship with myself has changed as I’ve been living alone this year, and ultimately how I’ve grown to love it.
The best thing about living alone is that I always have a quiet place to escape to. Having this sanctuary and safe space is so important to me, especially after a long day of classes and work. If I need to be alone for a while, I know that I won’t be disturbed by my roommates coming home or doing something in our shared space. Having the place all to myself also means that I get to clean and decorate however I want, and I also can do whatever I want when I want to. For example, If I want to blast Olivia Rodrigo at 2 AM I can. It’s also great being able to have people over whenever I want to, and not be scared that it would bother my roommates.
However, living alone means that you are responsible for everything in your apartment. There’s no one to rely on to help clean shared spaces like the kitchen and the living room. I have to take on a bigger responsibility compared to my friends who have roommates. There are times when I’m super busy with homework or assignments, but I still have to take care of the dishes or scrub the bathroom and can’t ask a roommate to bail me out. However, this aspect of living alone has held me more accountable for my own responsibilities. It is up to me to make sure I stay happy and my sanctuary stays clean and comfy.
Living alone has also forced me to improve my cooking skills. Many of my friends have roommates that are gifted in baking or cooking, while I came to college only with the knowledge of how to make instant ramen. It’s been really interesting having to cook on my own, and I admit some of my creations have been a huge failure. However, on the occasional time I do make something great- or edible- that feeling of accomplishment is enough to motivate me to keep working on my cooking skills. While I have not transformed into a Masterchef by any means, I’m glad that I have this trial and error phase to work on my craft. Plus, living alone means that there’s no one around to witness my embarrassing moments in the kitchen.
Loneliness is always a big factor that people consider when thinking about living alone. I have to admit, it does get lonely sometimes to come home to a quiet apartment. Although, I’ve learned to combat that feeling by reaching out to family and friends. Sometimes I’ll FaceTime my parents just to say hi, or I’ll invite my friends over for dinner or to study. Instead of wallowing in the empty spaces that living alone creates, I choose to embrace them and make them my own.
Ultimately, your living situation is your own decision, but I hope that by sharing my experience of having my own apartment, I might encourage someone to embrace a similar situation. Cheers to being independent!