The Wonderful Realities of Living Alone | London Life

So I’m single, twenty-three, and living alone in a studio flat I don’t have to share. That means my own bathroom, my own kitchen, my own living area, and my own bed.

I get to do SO MUCH I wouldn’t do anywhere else.

Here are some of the realities of living alone.

• I can walk around naked and not worry about having to rush for clothes
• I can have a shower in the middle of the day. Two, if I want.
• Bed or sofa? Is a genuine decision I make every night.
• Drinking begins at whatever time of day I please
• My audiobooks play aloud for most of the day
• I can cook whatever I like and not have to worry about upsetting the vegan, poisoning the lactose intolerant housemate, or stinking out the kitchen with the poached fish smell
• I can attempt yoga in the middle of my room and it doesn’t matter if I make a fool of myself – there’s no one to see!
• Furniture is not just what it says on the tag: a stool is not just a seat, but a table, tray, and shield for whenever I hear a bump outside my door. Or see a spider. A bed is a trampoline. A sofa is a wardrobe.
• I can hang my bras from door handles or draped over the side of the sofa – wherever I happen to take them off – and not have to freak out when I hear someone coming up the stairs

The cleanliness of the flat is exactly how I want it

• You can stock the fridge with whatever you like – prosecco, brie, and prosciutto anyone?
• I don’t have to hide my love of Harry Potter – I’m talking pillows, cushions, magnets, throws, pictures, posters, and mugs.
• I can watch whatever I like on my… well, laptop. Sounds a little risque doesn’t it? I actually mean a Merlin marathon, but okay.

I don’t have to get dressed at the weekends if I don’t want to.

• Every day is a pamper day – face mask on, feet in a bowl of warm water, candles, music. Heaven.
• I get to invite who I want into my space. No more housemates’ late-night booty calls or creepy older brother. (Uni days were so much fun). My space, my friends.
• I get to invite my friends around for drinks and/or dinner! This makes my brownie-self very happy.
• The only person I have to fight for the bathroom is the bathroom door – it sticks.

My space is exactly that, my space.

There are, of course, some not-so-wonderful realities of living alone as well. More expenses, no sharing of bills, no sharing of cleaning, no conversation upon arriving home, more reliance on self-entertainment, and the general idea that for most of your time you are alone.

But for an introverted loner, the pros certainly outweigh the cons. It’s even encouraging me to be more social than when I was flat-sharing.

Let me know your thoughts on living alone. Would you want to? Comment down below.

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