all by myself.

a couple of weeks ago, i read a blog post that discussed living alone. there was a youtube video and a reference to an article in the ny times. i was amused by all of it because so much of it rang true to me.

i have been living by myself, officially, for almost two years. four years ago, i lived with a plethora of boys and i avoided them at every cost...they occupied the downstairs and i managed the upstairs. the only space we shared was the kitchen and that was limited. it was almost like living by myself. and three years ago, i lived with a family...again, they lived downstairs and i was upstairs. and we didn't really share the kitchen. i had my own fridge in the garage and used the counter in the garage. i feel like i technically lived by myself that year, as well. even more so than when i lived with the boys. but truly living by myself is a whole different ball game.

i guess i never realized that living alone is an interesting phenomenon to some people. i have been such an independent person my whole life that living alone just seemed like the natural progression of things. let me explain my independence...when i was in sixth grade i signed up for violin lessons and then told my parents about them. in high school i made decisions like joining deca and the track and field team without consulting my parents. i "forgot" to tell my parents about my seminary graduation, so i went to it by myself. (although, i like to debate this with my mom...i'm terrible and tell her that she just didn't love me and that's why she didn't go...i don't remember not telling her, but she swears i never told her.) the summer after i graduated high school, i moved to jackson hole to work. a couple of years after that, i moved to lake powell for the summer. and a couple of years after that i moved across the country by myself...where i learned to go to movies by myself and, on occasion, i would go to dinner by myself. i'm definitely used to doing things by myself.

taking all that into consideration, living by myself seems totally normal. and i guess on some level i didn't realize that people don't ever take the opportunity to live by themselves. some just go from home to roommates to marriage...which is totally practical and normal. but there is so much that is amazing about living alone. let me give you a rundown of the top three reason living along is amazing...in a bullet format, of course. (and don't you dare judge me.)

• sometimes it just feels good to get home from work or from running errands and take your pants off. i would say that i live 80% of my alone life sans pants. there is no justification and/or reason that i started doing this. i can't even tell you when i started doing this. it definitely occurred before i lived alone-alone. but after i didn't live with a plethora of boys. and to be honest, i can't really tell you when it will stop. it may never end. just sayin'.

• it is definitely nice to run my own show. i love that i get to go to bed when i want, i get to get up when i want and i get to decide everything in between. and if i feel like starting twelve projects and just leave them lying around with an indefinite timeline, i can. and i can make food that i like. and i can eat dinner at ten at night. and i don't have to wake up to take care of kids or anyone else. i am the master of my domain in every way possible...and no share-sees.
  

• finally, the best thing about living alone are all the things i do that i cannot and/or will not share. i definitely have my alone life. it makes me giggle. but i absolutely have no desire to share the aspects of my alone life. just know this...it is hysterical. i mean, i am sure you can figure some of it out. but i will share this...i never close the bathroom door. ever. enough said.
  

have you ever lived by yourself?
what do you think of living alone?

that's all.