Austin, I love you.
So I just had a conversation with a good friend about going to see a movie alone.
In a brand new town where she doesn't know too many people yet (give her time and I assure you she'll have zillions of new friends), she went by herself to see Julie & Julia (such a perfect movie!) and found it oddly liberating.
Having done this myself twice before, I was in total agreement.
Actually, I really like doing things by myself.
Especially errands, reading in coffee shops, museums, clothes shopping, sight seeing, zoning out and listening to music on the metro, running...
I think part of it is getting to do exactly what I want, when I want to do it.
And the other part is...I'm a pretty good companion to myself.
I still consider myself a "people person."
I really am happy when around other people, especially friends and family.
And I fully realize enjoying being alone is contingent upon the luxury of not having to be.
It's just that in a perfect world, I would spend 50% of my time alone and 50% of my time with other people. Maybe even 60, 40.
When I achieve that balance, I feel like I can sincerely give my best in both worlds.
It's funny, because I've always been like this...
I distinctly remember loving sleepovers, but always calling my mom at like 9 in the morning to come pick me up while my friends slept-in: I just spent the entire night with you, there's no way I'm spending the entire day with you too!
And college was a shock at first, because suddenly I was surrounded by people 24/7 and didn't quite know how to deal yet.
But now I'm at the lovely point where I've just sort of embraced it as an essential part of who I am. It comes with age.
