Looking for a fresh start in college, I opted for a random roommate my freshman year. I wanted someone without knowledge of my high school trials and tribulations, someone I could forge a friendship with while sharing a 9'x14' foot room. Unfortunately, we were not a good fit.
My sophomore year, I moved off campus into a 4-bedroom apartment. It is in this apartment I lived for the next 6 semesters of my college career. While roommates rotated, the same inevitable issues arose. A list almost anyone who has ever cohabited any place with anyone else could relate to. All things considered, we were a relatively good fit for the time being.
Upon graduating college I moved home and spent 3 harrowing months living with my parents while I searched for a job. The 2am curfew and semi-regimented meal times came as a shock to my system, among other parental expectations. Needless to say, once I found a job, I jumped at the opportunity to rent a 2-bedroom apartment downtown with my sister who was looking to cut back on the expenses she'd accrued while living alone. Unfortunately, we were not a good fit.
We broke our 12 month lease after only 6 months. It is then, at the age of 23, I finally moved into my own 1-bedroom, 780 square foot loft in downtown Richmond and I have never looked back. I finally lived in a place that was free of my parents' rules, common areas shared with roommates, and the limitations of accepted behavior while in the presence of other human beings.
Living alone has many perks. I don’t have to share the appliances, bathroom, or my groceries. I can wear as much or as little as I like as to be comfortable in the apartment climate I choose as I have become queen of the thermostat at last! I am not drowning in someone else’s borderline-hoarder clutter and there is always more than enough space in the refrigerator and the freezer, in each drawer and in every closet. If there's a mess to be cleaned, chances are I'm the culprit. Either myself or someone I invited over, which I can do 24/7 without fear of disrupting my roommates or evoking their scrutiny on my life choices. Nap time is anytime, and if I do absolutely nothing of significance all day, nobody knows!
Sure living in an apartment alone isn't for everyone, and it does have some downsides, but I rarely notice them as I am far too busy doing whatever I want whenever I am there.
