Spoiler alert: Adulting isn't as intimidating as it may seem. Sure, there are some days when you're trying to adult and it feels like you know next to nothing. You call up your mom or dad, completely worried about rent bills, a broken water heater, or grocery shopping. (Where do you even start?) But, after a few trips around the "real world" block, you have it down to a science. You realize that you're capable of handling and enjoying a lot more than you thought you could — and that there are things that seem scary to do alone for the first time, but probably aren't. Are you ready to face your fears? I think so.
The first time I did something alone, I remember the world feeling oddly quiet. I had the day to myself because everyone was busy or out of town. I planned on grabbing healthy snacks at Whole Foods, shopping, and then heading home to watch New Girl reruns on Netflix.
When I got to the mall, I checked my phone basically a million times for new notifications. I texted my boyfriend pictures of the green juice I tried, along with a detailed review, and my best friends some new outfit options. To be honest: I was feeling a little lonely. But, I also found a lot of joy and comfort in being alone. I think you will, too, after doing even one of these five things.
When you're first navigating the world solo, eating alone at a restaurant is an easy thing to do. That's because you may already be so comfortable in a particular diner, coffee shop, or café. You've been there many times with your best friends or family members, and know some of the wait staff or most of the items on the menu. There's not much left up to "chance."
Here's how it will likely go: You'll walk in and grab a booth. You might order your usual breakfast, with an extra side of home fries, and people-watch until you pay your bill. In that moment, the world will seem to turn a little slower and you'll simply enjoy your food and all the ingredients that go into it. You may even forget to check your phone. *Cue the gasps.*
Next on the list is navigating an airport. This experience can be a little more confusing, complicated, and nerve-wracking than eating alone at a restaurant. It requires getting through security lines and finding your gate, all on your own. Not to mention, you usually like to watch a movie with a buddy once you're in the air.
But, once you successfully check your bags and get your routines down, it's incredibly rewarding to get through an airport by yourself. You start new travel traditions with yourself, like grabbing a ginger ale before you board or writing out postcards on your layovers. The whole experience of flying, in itself, becomes calming and something you genuinely look forward to.
Personally, I've never gone to the movies by myself. But, based on my other experiences of doing things alone, this one seems like it would be so fun for a few reasons. First, you don't have to share your popcorn or gummy worms with anyone else. You get the entire bowl to yourself, and can decide to eat it during the trailers if you really want to.
Second, you get to pick whatever movie you want to watch. So, if you're not a huge fan of horror flicks and would rather tune into something animated or PG-13 — well, you totally can. The experience becomes entirely yours, and you start ruling even the most basic decisions like what time you want to see the movie and where you want to park. That has to feel good, right?
Like going to the movies, or any other experience you have alone, exploring a new city is rewarding because you get to create your itinerary. You get to decide what sights you want to see. You also get to decide what order you go to the various museums, and what you do when you get there.
If you want to spend hours taking Instagram photos in front of the colorful walls in Los Angeles, you absolutely can! You can grab a cup of coffee on Melrose Avenue and spend an entire afternoon with your lens and preset packs. Then, you can come back from your adventurues and tell all of your friends and family about them. The lesson here is: You can make some of the best memories just by spending time with yourself.
Last but not least, the first time you live alone can seem a little scary, but it actually isn't. In fact, it teaches you the most that you are truly capable of handling and enjoying more than you give yourself credit for. The rent checks, technology problems, dishes that always pile up in the sink — you got it all! And some fun stuff, too.
It starts like this: You move into your own apartment in your hometown, or find a cute studio in the middle of the city. You get a bunch of furniture and cool art prints to hang on the wall, and then you settle in. You get into your routines, and realize that there's a lot of beauty in not having to share the television remote or worry about making too much noise. Yes, you could get used to this and doing more things alone.
