Written by Sifan, 2021 Cohort
Nowadays, relationships are becoming more and more complex, and society is becoming more and more fast-paced, so it is no wonder that more people prefer to live alone in this day of age.
It had never occurred to me that I would like to live alone. But the fact that I prefer to live alone has recently come as a surprise.
Until recently, I lived with my spouse, and I enjoyed that life very much. We didn’t even argue much. But at the end of last year, I had to come to Vancouver alone to start my postgraduate studies. So for the past 2 months or so, I have been in a state of “being alone”.
Unlike the expected scenario where I was surrounded by loneliness and bursts of crying at midnight, this period of living alone has taught me that you are expected to mingle on your own, to fit in. I don’t have to think about other people’s feelings and do what I want to do, at any time. If I lived with someone else, I would always think about things that two people could do together. But during this time, I’ve been playing many single-player games that I haven’t had time to play because I needed to consider my spouse’s feelings. I read a lot of books and learned new software by myself. This period of solitary living has made me a better person.
Some people would say that living alone is very unhealthy because there is no one else to control you, so you can do whatever you want to do at the wrong time, such as staying up late, over-indulging in games, etc. But I would like to say: make it a point to spend more time with yourself! Indeed, it’s good to have someone to share activities with. Humans are social animals. But people still need time on their own to reflect and improve themselves.