When I was 16, I was surrounded by family, friends and a boyfriend that did everything with me.

I rarely ran errands alone, did homework alone, ate alone or really spent any time alone. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was growing more and more dependent on my boyfriend and my mom. Not in the sense that I needed them to do things for me, or that I thought I couldn't do them alone, I just didn't want to.

Why go to the grocery store alone, when my mom needed to go anyway? Why run my errands or go shopping alone, when I could also enjoy the company of my boyfriend?

Having them with me at all times was like a security blanket I didn't realize I was carrying until it was taken away from me.

When my boyfriend and I broke up and my mom started working more, I found myself with a post-being-dumped broken heart, and a lot more alone time on my hands. Who was I supposed to run my errands with? Hangout after school with? Grab lunch between classes with? Go hiking with?

I soon realized that the answer to this question was simple: myself.

I learned to turn up the music and sing a little louder in the car with no one there to listen. I learned to take myself to breakfast at my favorite place on Saturday mornings, a tradition that had previously been shared with my boyfriend. I found joy in hiking a trail alone, sitting by a babbling brook, and just being still.

Doing these things gave me a sense of independence I never knew I was missing. Learning to enjoy my solitude taught me not only that I can do things on my own, but that I actually enjoy it. It has made me for sure of who I am. It has given me time to reflect. It has given me time to spoil myself. It has given me space to put energy into my own well-being instead of constantly caring for others.

I find great joy in sitting down to eat a bagel at a local restaurant or watching my school's baseball team (kicking ass, I might add) alone. I've learned to thrive while being alone & it is one of the greatest gifts I have ever given myself