First off, let me just preface that I love living alone and I’ve always loved being alone. Even when living with my family or with friends in university. I’ve always preferred being by myself, in my own solitude. Not in a sad or lonely sort of way but in a very peaceful and happy way. I’ve had roommates in the past and noticed that I always preferred spending time by myself.

I am a social butterfly and love to host and spend time with my friends and family, however, in my free time I would much rather choose to stay in by myself. I have been living alone for 4 months now, which is still a short period of time and I’m certain that my perspective will change as time passes. Nonetheless, here’s what I’ve learned so far:

Expensive AF:

Living alone is expensive (AF!!!), at times it’s completely unaffordable. Especially in today’s climate. The housing/rental market in Toronto is all sorts of messed up and the cost of groceries and household items are so expensive! I feel like the expense aspect is a massive wake up call for me and has allowed me to integrate myself into the “real world”. I have a greater sense of appreciation and value for money and I have deeper understanding for my wants versus needs. I don’t splurge on things I don’t truly need anymore.

Mental Health = thriving:

Ever since moving out, my mental health is absolutely thriving! I truly believe that having the space to figure things out in your twenties is so important. I’m grateful to have a space where I feel open to be who I want to and explore who I am. I have a space to meditate openly in my own solitude which is a very important piece to my mental health and wellness journey. Additionally, I am building important life skills that when living under my parents’ roof I wasn’t able to.

It’s not always beautiful

Living alone is not always amazing and beautiful how one may think it out to be. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love having my own space and the ability to do whatever I want in it, however, there are days that go by that do feel lonely and sometimes mundane. Whereas when living in a family unit I never found myself to feel lonely as there was always someone around to talk to. However, overcoming this comes down to a matter of balancing the amount of time I spend visiting friends and family.

Freedom

It’s true, you experience a whole new meaning of freedom when you live alone. It’s as if you’re beginning a whole new life in terms of learning what you can and cannot do. There’s no one at home to answer to, so therefore the freedom is all yours! I can have people over as and when I like as well as leave and return at any time that is suitable to me. Whereas, when living with others, that is not necessarily the “respectful” thing to do. In roommate situations it is much harder to host and often having people stay the night can be uncomfortable.

Overall, I really think that living alone in your 20’s is a must! It is important to get a feel of real life, away from the comfort of your family. It teaches independence and life skills that will benefit you in the long run. Although, I want to acknowledge that not everyone has the same opportunities and this may not be a possibility for many. A very close and much more affordable alternative is definitely to find a roommate and live together! As that does expose you to the same level of independence and growth, if not, it exposes you to more! As you learn to compromise more deeply and adapt to eachother’s living styles and needs.