Dear, girls who live alone: This one's for you. Right now, you're probably reading this while meal prepping for the week or laying in bed, trying to figure out how to fix your broken coffee machine. You're dialing up your best friends and parents, asking for advice, and you may be rolling your eyes because the "real world" can be tough at times. Take a deep breath, and know this: If you live alone and hate doing these things, then you're actually not as "alone" as you may think. *Mind blown.*
That's right. There's a whole community of people who know the same struggles as you. They know what it's like to lose WiFi in the middle of the night, and write out rent checks in full. They know that cleaning is an all-day affair sometimes, and that putting on a great playlist is #necessary.
They also know, though, that there can be a lot of perks to living alone and navigating adulthood by yourself. For one, you have all the space in the fridge for your snacks, and never have to worry about making too much noise or hogging the television remote. You feel proud every time you check laundry off of your to-do list, and do what needs to be done if something in your apartment breaks. That deserves a round of applause, and the comforting reminder that these seven things you hate are so normal and relatable, too.
First things first: Let's talk about cleaning. As an adult who lives on her own, you probably own a vacuum cleaner, Swiffer, dusting rags, and disinfectant wipes. You have certain brands that you like to buy, and scents like lemon or lavender that make your space feel like home. The only downside? You have to take care of all the messes by yourself.
Sure, you secretly love getting organized and hitting the virtual refresh button. But, you could do without washing the dishes after every single meal and scrubbing your microwave when your bag of popcorn explodes.
Next to the usual cleaning, is taking out the trash. At least a couple times a week, you have to empty your garbage can and switch out the bag. It's always a smelly process, and one that you may procrastinate. (One day, you won't find this adulting task to be so repulsive, right?)
Most of the time, you try your best to cover your nose or hold your breath. You're not sure what smells so bad, but you'd rather not find out. Once you finally get the old bag tied off, you then have to carry it to the dumpster or trash chute that seems so far away. You wish you could ask a roommate for some extra help!
Living by yourself means you've gotten used to paying the bills. Every month, that rent envelope slides under your door, and you put it on the counter with a blank check. When the due date comes around, you write out the full amount and cringe a little bit, knowing that your bank account is going to take a hit.
Truth is, living with someone else would seriously help you save some money. You might not have to budget so much for water, utilities, groceries, and other necessities.
But, it also feels good to know you're capable of being an adult and don't have to worry about getting your roommate's half of the cash. Getting these bills taken care of on time is such a personal victory.
You love watching Food Network and getting new recipes from Pinterest, but you've come to realize that it can be really difficult cooking for one. Most meals are meant for two, and the ingredients list always calls for multiple pieces of chicken or way too much pasta. Um, help!
At first, you may have cooked exactly what the recipe said and saved the leftovers for lunch the next day or later on. Now, though, you've gotten good at cutting the necessary spices and amount of vegetables in half. You meal plan at the beginning of the week, and have found certain food blogs you love, that cater to living alone. Problem? Solved.
When it comes to technology, something can always go wrong. A wire can get disconnected or your router or laptop could use an update. In the moment, it can be incredibly stressful to deal with, mostly because you're trying to figure it out on your own.
You try calling the cable company for extra help, and talking through what each button or port does. You press "reset" about a million times before letting out a frustrated grunt. Then, suddenly, things start working again and the problem begins to make sense. You feel on top of the world — like there's not a single part of adulting you can't handle! *Cue the claps, victory laps, and confetti.*
Getting out of bed in the morning can already be such a struggle. It's so easy to hit snooze and stay snuggled up in your blankets for a few extra minutes, or even hours. But, this struggle becomes even more real when you're living alone.
Let's be honest: If you were living with someone, they might encourage you to get up and workout or make a yummy breakfast together on the weekends. You'd hear them turn on the television to re-runs of The Bachelor or Sex and the City, and run into the other room to join.
Living alone, though, means that you have to wake up at a regular hour and find some motivation to make waffles on a Saturday morning. (You can do it!)
Last but not least, living alone means that you need to deal with anything that breaks. You have to make the phone calls to the landlord when your dishwasher isn't working properly, and give the plumber a ring when your sink has a leak. Handling even just one of these situations, though, makes you feel like such an adult.
You're taking care of your space and making sure it feels like home sweet home. You're tending to the problems, and making sure that they don't pile up and become bigger issues that would be harder to deal with later on. Most importantly, though, you're realizing that living alone isn't so bad, even if there are a few things you hate.
