I had never shared a room in my life until I came to college. At the beginning, it was weird being surrounded by people all the time, but after a couple of months, I enjoyed feeling accompanied. My friends used to laugh at me because I freaked out when my roommate left for the weekend since it meant being alone for two entire nights.

To their surprise, and mine too, I decided to stay in Austin for Thanksgiving break when all of them, and the rest of the university's students would be gone. I realized that time to take care of myself was what I truly needed because I had been feeling disconnected with myself.

I had invested so much time in school that I forgot to explore and enjoy my college experience. I had my doubts, but I knew my decision would push me to get out of my comfort zone and try new things.

I went to a concert on Wednesday and I felt like someone would notice that I hadn’t gone with friends. I felt like people would be judging me, but after a while, I just listened to the music and was able to appreciate it a hundred times better. I’m glad I did this on the first day because the experience helped me get rid of the feeling of embarrassment and fear of being alone for the rest of the week.

I started to observe things that I overlooked on a daily basis because I was focused on absorbing my surroundings. This thought struck me as I walked down Sixth Street.

I had never noticed small coffee shops or terraces with ping pong tables because I never really seek the opportunities to explore since I usually end up following the crowd on normal weekends.

I was suddenly in complete control of my time. I went to restaurants and ate as slowly as I could or went shopping and visited stores I had never entered. There wasn’t anyone hurrying me or distracting me, which was great because I got to be fully present at the moment.

That week marked many firsts for me. I went to my first traditional Thanksgiving dinner and to one of my first football games. I didn’t get why Americans were so obsessed with this sport until I began to understand what was happening on the field.

Overall, I learned that it’s okay to be alone sometimes, especially if you feel like you have lost sight of your path. I am thankful because I realized how important it is to cherish the moments of solitude. That’s when you really get to grow as a person and discover the places and experiences that touch you and make you happy.