How to Appreciate Living Solo

I've lived with somewhere in the vicinity of forty different people in my life. I've lived with students, professionals, blue-collars, white-collars, disabled, partiers, neat-freaks, slobs . . . You name it, I've lived with it. For the most part, this was a great way to lead the life of a young guy, and I enjoyed most of the people! There were one or two with whom I couldn't deal well, and one or two who couldn't deal with me, but generally there were a lot of good experiences.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A Room Of One's Own (not the Virginia Woolf essay, but it might help)
• Modest income
• Internet
• TV
• Books
• Imagination

1. Listen to the silence. Covet the privacy. Some people don't like it "too quiet," but it's great because you can make it as noisy as you want anyway. The virtue of silence is that you can always crack it if need be, but it's not so easy to reverse the noise of others into quiet. I like having my own bathroom for once and I'm sure women love it even more. It's never already occupied and you can use it for as long as you want.
2. Think. If it's too quiet for you, think a lot. To me, thinking is more or less audio since most of my thoughts are in terms of words. Of course sometimes I even narrate my own experience from a third person perspective, almost as if I were an author composing a character. I probably think reflexively too much, but if you're not big on this in the first place, you'll likely not have to worry about worrying!
3. Play on the Internet. I didn't really start using the internet much until 2000, and then I decided I loved it! It's not so "techie" after all and you can tell that especially by how many women and teens love the internet. It's a means to opening up the world without having to go out in the rain. I used to use chat rooms a lot and meet people in person (that's what really turned me onto the net), but I don't as much now that I've found so many other things to do on the net. Two of the great aspects of the internet are that you learn while you're doing what often seems like playing, and that you're more likely to run out of time before you run out of things to do on the net! Hours pass as if they were minutes.
4. Enjoy live broadcasts. Sure, you can listen to music and watch movies, but I tend to prefer live broadcasts, especially when living alone. From the end of August through at least mid-spring, there's no shortage of college sports on TV and on live webcasts too. From football, soccer and volleyball in the fall, to basketball in the winter, not to mention that college hockey starts in early October and doesn't end until early April, there is plenty of college sports coverage. Then there's always news on CNN and MSNBC (boo hiss on Fox News). To me, live broadcasts keep you "in sync" with the world even when nobody is around. Since nobody knows exactly what's going to happen in a game or in the news, it's randomness and chaos within the basic calm of your "alone environment". A nice balance.
5. Read books. I hate to say it, but since I got turned on to the Internet, I don't read actual books nearly as much as I used to. Around the time college hockey is ending, it's safe to go outside without a winter coat. So now it's time to read in the sunshine. This is when I do most of my book-reading, from mid-spring through late summer - outdoors.
6. Be naked. Spring/Summer is also the time to ditch your clothes. You don't need 'em inside since there's nobody around to offend (or turn-on). Why pay extra for air conditioning when you can be naked? Where winters are long but summers are still hot, it's freeing to wear as few clothes as you can get away with in public too. Go outside with a great book and nothing but shorts or even boxers, and tan your bod! Soak up that sun while you're reading Dostoyevski, and it's quite a contrast. You feel even sunnier compared to the book.

Tips & Warnings

• The biggest bummer about living alone is the increase in expense, so be wise and choose an inexpensive place. You only need room for one person.
• Be careful not to fall so deeply into your own ways that you can't fathom the prospect of living with someone again, even if it's a spouse or lover.

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