Living Alone Doesn’t Mean You’re Lonely

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I recently moved out to my own apartment. Yes, that’s right: I’m a single woman in her early twenties and I live all by myself. It’s a phenomenon that women only decades ago wouldn’t have even considered. And luckily, it’s now becoming a more common occurrence. I feel independent, successful, and, no, not even a little bit lonely.

I was warned that living alone would be ultimately lonely. It would make sense; as you are alone most of the time. I was prepared for the possibility of being depressingly lonely – I even read articles that described how to cope with the loneliness I would inevitably feel. But what I had in store for me was far from the depressing weight of loneliness. I felt free.

I think maybe it’s because in the recent years, I have become very much intimate with myself. As a single women, who has very much experienced the depths of loneliness, I’ve had the time to really sit with myself and experience those feelings. And I realized that’s all they were; passing feelings. And I discovered how to deal with those feelings.

I live with my favorite person, my best friend, my longest and strongest love affair; the most important person in my life. When I am alone, I do my favorite things. I watch my favorite shows, cooks my favorite foods, listen to my favorite music, do my favorite activities. I invite my favorite people over when I have the time.

Now, when you live alone for the first time and you aren’t lonely it’s one of the best feelings. I know one day I should be ready to share my life with someone, and I know it will be an equally amazing feeling. But for now, I’m not ready to give up this part of my journey. I’m learning, growing, and becoming even more comfortable with myself. And by doing so, I’m preparing myself to be even more comfortable with the person I will invite along on this journey.

So, if you’re living alone and do feel lonely, learn to sit with those feelings. Find your way though them and back to yourself. Fall in love with the experience and more importantly, yourself.