Can I be honest?
I love living alone.
Like, deeply, passionately, whole-heartedly love it. Living alone has taught me so much, nothing else could’ve prepared me for life the way this has. It’s really just you vs. the world… or, to put it better: you’re the main character. Not to go all TikTok on y’all, but seriously it’s beautiful when you start seeing the world that way.
Every time I’m walking somewhere, just soaking in the life around me, I think, damn, everyone’s got their own little movie going on. Different people, different lives, different timelines. We’re all just starring in our own stories. So please, live your life the way you want to. Nobody actually gives a flying shit what you’re doing. At least I don’t 😛
I like to say living alone plays a huge role in character development. Like… 5-years-ago Aashi could never. I do things now that my younger self wouldn’t even dare to daydream about. You really become your own best friend. And don’t get me wrong I have an amazing family and even better chosen family (shoutout to my besties!!!) but sometimes? You just gotta go on that walk alone. Watch that movie solo. Take yourself out and clap for yourself. Because no one else knows how deeply you need it like you do.
Honestly? Change is beautiful. It’s the only thing that never changes. (Pause for frontal lobe wisdom.) But really, change is the most consistent thing in life. You’re changing right now, even as you read this. Your cells. Your thoughts. Your understanding of the world. Isn’t that kind of wild?
Like… what if I never moved out of that relationship when I did? What if I kept forcing myself through psychology just because I started it? What if I never moved to Canada at all? Every pivot brought me to this moment. And I wouldn’t trade it.
Living alone also taught me how much I love slow mornings. Waking up without an alarm, sipping tea in your weirdest pajamas, no makeup, messy bun, mismatched socks you, in your purest form. When you live alone, there’s no one to perform for. Just you, existing. And wow, sometimes that’s enough.
Also, new obsession: saying perhaps. Makes me feel like I read the Financial Times and make my own sourdough.
But fr, get yourself a good speaker. Read good books. Water your plants (or at least try—my track record isn’t perfect, okay?). Do the things that make you feel alive. Garden a bit. Sing a little. Dance a lot. And please, write. I used to hatewriting, but when I’m feeling something deeply? Laptop. Open. Immediately.
Now obviously, living alone also means doing everything alone. Cooking, cleaning, crying (occasionally), thriving (hopefully). I’ve always been a bit of a homemaker, so it wasn’t a total shock for me. But for anyone who never lifted a finger at home? Oof. Prayers. That reality hits hard.
But look at us, we’re the adults now. We’re the ones reminding our parents to take their meds. (My mom forgets hers every single day… love you but we’re working on that, queen.)
Aaaaanyways, I have SO much to talk about. So many characters to introduce. So many moments to write down before they fade into the chaos of memory.
Here’s to the messy, magical, solo-living era of life.
Lots of love,
Aashi <3
