Since moving from the pampering of the sorority house to my own little home near campus, I have learned a few things about living on your own. It' is not always easy, and it is definitely not always fun, but having a nice little place to myself has its moments. 

College has moved me from the dorms to Chi-O, to having one roommate and a house of our own. The environment of 100 nearby roommates has taken a drastic downsizing to one (and her cat). Although I've heard some people talk about missing living with so many, having a place to go that's truly my space full of my stuff that I can put anywhere is awesome. My room is all mine, and I can hang whatever I want on the walls -- with nails -- and actually sleep in a bed bigger than a twin. Our house is not the responsibility of the university or the sorority, it is completely up to us. While living on my own and relying on myself, I have picked up a few things about having a house just for me. 

The full reality has descended of how much trash college kids can produce in the span of a week and the brutal aggravation of a sink full of dirty dishes that are not yours. I had no idea that with every Sonic trip my friends and I made, we were creating another bag full of trash that would inevitably be left for me to collect on the coffee table. Between the kitchen and the bathroom and the living room -- all shared spaces really -- cleaning has become a constant, if I don't want my house to smell weird in two days. Little things like candles and laundry detergent account for a good amount of my spending money these days, and the temptation to buy a fresh towel every time I go to the store is becoming harder to resist. 

Meals are no longer a luxury provided for just a few minutes of standing in line. The only meal plan at this point is making one yourself, and I will honestly admit that I have yet to transition to a proper and fully-functioning self created game plan for meals. An unfortunate amount of money is spent on quick meals from anywhere, but my kitchen. I love cooking, and when I get around to actually buying ingredients and executing a recipe, it is pretty freakin' delicious, but time doesn't often allow for the luxury of a home cooked meal. 

Despite these challenges, I love having a house to myself. Sure, there is rent and bills to pay, and groceries to buy, and rooms to clean, but coming home from classes to a nice big comfy couch and TV is all I really need at the end of the day.