I am extremely extroverted. I'll talk to whomever, I love meeting people, I go out a lot, and I'm usually with people unless I'm sleeping. My freshman year I shared a single-bedroom, single-bathroom dorm with a singular roommate. I'd wake up and go to classes, stay in my architecture studio until late at night, and come back to the dorm quietly as to not wake my roommate. I had a different roommate each semester, and they were both very sweet girls, but we are all human, meaning sometimes we don't clean our messes or wash out the sink, and it can drive people living with us insane (I know I definitely do that to my parents during the busy weeks). And even the most extroverted of us all needs his/her alone time. That was something that was nearly impossible to achieve. I scheduled in a single hour on certain mornings that my roommate would be in class so I could just drink my coffee by myself. Don't get me wrong, I love my friends and usually got along with my classmates; that wasn't the problem. The problem was that I was constantly exhausted and had zero time to relax or have time to myself.
Long story short, I decided to live by myself this year in a studio apartment right next to campus. Here are some reasons why it is so healthy for the soul.
1. You can be naked whenever you want.
Ever gotten out of the shower and just not wanted to put your clothing on for the day? That's me about 99 percent of the time. I can make a cup of coffee, eat a meal in bed, and do all sorts of normal house tasks but naked. It's a fabulous life of me, my black-out curtains, and I.
2. You don't have to worry about waking anyone up.
This is a fabulous thing if you're like me and either 1. studying into really late hours, or 2. always out on the weekends with your friends. I remember during finals week I felt so bad about opening doors and running into things in the dark as to not wake my roommate at 2 a.m. In the mornings, it's also quite difficult to do your early tasks in a rush to get to class without waking your roommate. And we all know there are few things worse than getting woken up before it is the time to wake up.
3. You can recharge your social battery.
Like I mentioned before, even the most extroverted person needs to be alone sometimes, even if it's just for a few hours. You can take an hour long shower or bubble bath, eat some food, dance around, take a nap, clean, watch YouTube, cry, do homework, decorate, paint / draw / craft, watch a movie, or just sit for however long fits your fancy without the worry of someone walking in to disrupt that happy bit of peace.
4. Still scared of living alone because you may get lonely? Arrange for your best friend to be your next door neighbor.
One of my best friends from architecture school lives two houses down from me, and another good friend is about to move in to the same set of apartments. We've already made dinner together (taco night!!), and have gotten up and made breakfast and coffee together as well. Before I was completely moved in to my place, and I didn't yet have shower curtains, I just walked over to his place and showered. We are both also in the marching band together, so we're planning on getting up early and going to band camp together. It's also good to have a neighbor or someone living in your apartment complex that you're close with in case you're sick so they can bring you soup or something. In addition, if you share classes with that person, they can bring you notes from that class if you miss.
5. There is no one to judge you for the immense amount of selfies you take (even though no one should judge you for feelin' yo'self).
Here is a pro tip: If you want the best selfie lighting inside, make the room you're in a little darker and use natural light from a window to cast lighting on your face. The light brings out brightness in your eyes and also flushes away small blemishes or annoying redness. Yeah, you're welcome. I just want to say that the natural lighting in my apartment is fabulous, and there is no one to intervene on my small photo shoot. Is your makeup on point? Are you having a good day? Are you just FEELIN' YO'SELF? Then honey this an occasion you need to capture.
6. You really don't have to clean if you don't want to.
We all know there will be times when we're running late to class or a meeting for work. There will be times where you're so incredibly sore from the gym that you physically cannot move from your bed. There will be times when you make some lasagna and let it soak in your sink for a few hours... or days... And the point is, that happens. I'm not the cleanliest person by any means, but I do like a clean space. However there are times when those situations and others happen and there is just not time for cleaning in my day. And that doesn't really matter when you're living alone.
7. When you do clean, it's only your mess so you don't have to get mad about your roommate not cleaning his/her/their mess(es).
OK, yeah, so maybe that lasagna tray is growing something in it that could be perceived as a chemistry experiment. At least it's your experiment and not someone else's that you have to clean before it possibly eats your home. Make a time out of it: put on a good ol' Death Cab record, throw your hair in a messy bun (even if it requires at least four bobby pins if you have short hair like me), and just tidy up the place. It'll feel so fantastic to come back to after the day is done.
8. It is 1000x homier if it's your own.
Despite the messiness, mismatching tapestry, weird paintings hanging, odd assortment of food in your fridge, and dirty clothing on the floor, it is your home, your place, and your time to just chill and have alone time. I never ever called my dorm "home." I either said "yeah I'm going back to my dorm, place, (or) hall." Having my own place definitely makes it feel more "homey" which makes me feel a lot more relaxed while I'm there because I want to be there, by myself, and in my own space.
