NOT everyone gets the chance to live alone, especially those who are young and residing in the Philippines, given the culture of staying with the family until marriage (which is not set in stone, by the way). If you’re someone who is working or studying outside your hometown or someone who simply found a place of your own, you probably have figured out that living by yourself has its trials and triumphs.
1) You have the place to yourself, a statement that bears repeating.
There’s no one to order you around. No one to bother you. You’re left to your devices, free to do whatever and whenever. But with that comes the loneliness that creeps up from time to time to the point that it feels like solitary confinement for those who are used to not being alone. You’ll be eating alone, watching TV alone—everything. Eventually, you’ll get used to it and even look forward to those alone times.
2) Everything is done according to “when you feel like it.”
How often does someone get to shirk responsibility? Anyone who lives alone can (except for the part of paying the bills, of course). Household chores, for instance, or heading to the market for groceries—you’re not obligated to do these and everything else at a specific time, which is totally great. So whether the place is a pigsty or the fridge is empty, it’s all on you. Sadly though, there are times when you do need a reminder or two that you need to sort the place out, keep yourself fed and try not to burn the place down to the ground. It’s best to have a system in order to make living alone a luxury, not a punishment.
3) You’re independent.
This means more than just taking care of your dwelling. You have to take care of yourself. This is no child’s play. Stock up on the essentials and basic products like medicine. There are moments when you’ll get sick and you have no one to ask to buy you the things you need especially if you’ve just settled in a place you barely know. Apart from taking advantage of apps that cater to your everyday needs, always entrust someone (be it friend or relative) with your extra set of keys. It’s a big comfort knowing you can ring up someone in case of emergencies.
4) You’ll get to know yourself better.
With the privacy comes self-discovery. You get to re-discover yourself from your wants, your likes, your preferences, your strengths and weaknesses. You get to dabble in cooking, decorate the place how you want it, do laundry (and actually love the feeling of warm clothes after scooping them from the dryer), have friends over without the worry of disturbing your family or your family cramping your style. You’ll also know what makes you happy, what ticks you off, making you realize your true character.
Over time, you’ll pick up new habits and skills and learn that living alone is not at all bad and it’s something everyone should at least get to try.