Living Alone
Hi friends! This one is for the ones that are just starting to achieve their dreams, but are scared AF! I am a planner and a certified worrier, and you can bet that I can extremely nervous when thinking about living alone. Specifically, the first night living alone! So I made this experience post to give you guys some insight into what the first night living alone is like. living alone
You have a moment where you want to cancel everything
I remember this moment as if it were yesterday! My family and I had just finished packing up the U-Haul, and I suddenly got an extremely feeling in my stomach. I’m a super nervous person, so I almost called the move off. Suddenly all of the things I had carefully calculate weren’t making sense. I was suddenly unsure about my budget, my organizational skills, and my ability to be an independent person. Somehow, I managed to stick to my guns and go through with the move. So if you suddenly go through a slight moment of panic before the big move, just now it’s cold feet, and they will fade as soon as you walk into your own home.
You Won’t Sleep Well Your First Night
The first night I moved in, I could barely keep it together. It’s hard to convince yourself that you’re a real adult now, and that there isn’t a serial killer waiting outside your window for you to fall asleep. Trust me, it’s normal to be scared by every little sound. I moved into an old building in the historical part of town, so my building happened to be extra creaky. It took a few days for the silence of living alone to feel like home. Even now, any sound I hear registers as my mom in the background. It takes me a second to remember that I live alone, and then I find myself on high alert. Usually it’s the neighbor upstairs walking extra fast.
I woke up at around 4 a.m. my first night alone. It kind of sucked because I had work that day and I went in absolutely exhausted, but on the upside, it will give you time to catch up on your Netflix. Just make sure to grab a good comfort snack while you’re at it. I haven’t started any new shows this fall season, but I would stick to my tried and true comedy shows to make me feel at home. In my case, it’s Bob’s Burger’s. Can’t ever get enough of the ol’ Belchers!
Your First Two Weeks Will Be Lonely
This kind of ties in to the first point. For me it was difficult living in a huge, two story apartment and then suddenly finding myself in a tiny studio by myself. I recommend inviting friends and family to sleep over those first few nights to make it feel a little more like home. My apartment started feeling a lot more like home once I had my mom stay over. Remember, home is where the heart is! So make some memories with your loved ones in your new space to remind you of the things that matter most.
My first Christmas here, I had my niece and nephew over, and we took tons of polaroid pictures (which we later hung up) and decorated the Christmas tree together. It’s probably one of my favorite memories in this place. Also looking at all the photos of all the moments that we’ve had here make the space feel like home.
No one will pack your leftovers if you don’t
This is kind of a gross lesson I learned on my own. Leftovers can’t sit out! When I lived back home, leftovers would magically disappear and show up in the fridge packed up nice and neat. Now that I’m a little more comfortable around in the kitchen I have discovered the magic of glass tupperware, and let me tell you what an investment they are! A good set of tupperware will last you forever, doesn’t absorb odors or stains, and are super easy to clean! Not to mention they will not leak or break open when you’re on the move, which is the most important quality factor. They are a little pricier than your Walmart plastic set, but in my opinion they are an investment, because they will not have to be replaced nearly as often and won’t give you as many headaches as far as leaking is concerned.
I crawled into bed one night, completely forgetting that I left the leftovers out in the kitchen, and came back to a disgusting pot filled with spoiled food. Gross! It took me a little to get the kitchen under wrap, but once I did I loved it, which brings me to my next point.
Will Become Particular About EVERYTHING
Remember those days were you would roll your eyes at how particular your parents were about every little thing? Shoes go here, these dishes go there, the refrigerator is organized like THIS…soon it’ll start to make sense, and you’ll understand just how particular your parents were about having their home a certain way…because you’ll be like that too! It’s worth saying that this doesn’t happen right away, but when it does, you’ll understand your parent’s ways perfectly.
One thing I’m super particular about now is how my fridge is set up and my cleaning schedule. Kind of random, but I enjoy cooking a lot more when everything is where it’s supposed to be.
Andddd those are some of the things you guys can expect when you live alone for the first time. Although it took me a couple of weeks to get adjusted, I love it and wouldn’t trade it in for anything. i think being independent creates a great sense of self-reliance that we could all use. What were your first experiences when you lived alone for the first time?!
