On Living Alone

For the first time in my whole life, I'm living alone.

When I was sixteen, I started living in the university dorm with three other people in the room.  That wasn't my first time to learn how to co-habitate as my brother and I shared the same room, but it was my first time to live with friends.  It was fun - especially that two of them have been my super-duper good friends since high school (and they will always be).

At twenty-one, I moved to Singapore for my first (and current) job.  Of course, with rent being so expensive, the only practical thing to do was share a flat with a flatmate.  I didn't mind really, as I'm used to living with other people.  In fact, this was an 'upgrade' because it was the first time I had my very own room.  It was easy.

Now, after six years, three Singapore apartments, and six (and a half) flatmates, I finally decided to live alone.  People ask me whether it's lonely.  It's not, and I honestly think it's one of the best things that happened to me as far as 'residency' is concerned.

Here are some of the best things about living alone.

1. I can have my own musical.  Anytime, anywhere in the house, with any outfit.  So far, I haven't received any complaints from the neighbors.  Not yet.
2. Everything's mine.  Even the mess.  It used to bother me so much when I left the dishes for more than a day.  Or when I left a scarf or a piece of clothing in the living room.  Or even when my own room was messy.  Because it might bother my flatmate, or worse, I might get slightly judged.  And the latter would sometimes be the trigger for fixing up.  Now, I clean up after my own mess everything because I hate coming home to a messy house.  I'm doing it for myself and not for anyone else.
3. I can run out of the bathroom to grab a towel in case I forget one.  Without hesitation.
4. It's a sanctuary.  I'm a very social person, and when I'm out of the house, I love being around people.  Despite this, I do need my alone time.  Time to recharge and write on my journal and read my books and work on my photos.  And daydream without disruption.  Time to be with myself.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not the type who would just ignore people (there are exceptions which deserves another blog entry altogether), but there are times when I just don't want to talk to anyone.  Just because.  Especially after a long day.
5. Music in full volume.  Any genre.  Whatever I like.
6. I can host parties anytime I want without bothering anyone.  I love hosting people.  It doesn't have to be the intricately planned gatherings.  In fact, I love the impromptu gatherings even more.
7. I can take Alanis Morissette's second advice.  If you get it, we've just become better friends.
8. I've become more responsible.  When I decided to live alone, it came with the decision to be more independent.  Which included independence from any helper. Now I do everything on my own - cleaning, ironing, cooking.  Everything.
9. I've become more organized.  Because of the extra space I have, it's much easier to organize my things.  I can use the living room closets freely.  And I've started organizing the kitchen too.
10. No remote control sharing.  I love my NatGeo shows and my HBO movies.  No one changes the channel.

The only bad thing is that no one can zip me up or unzip me for those difficult dresses.  But well...I've already figured out a way around that.

-P.