20
Jul
Alone
0
So I was sort of dreading these 12 days when Steve’s away at Sundance.
I’ve never wanted to be the girl who can’t function without her boyfriend or husband, the girl who doesn’t know how to be alone. Too many of my friends were serial monogamists in high school, jumping from boy to boy, good friends only for the brief periods of singledom in-between. So S and I–we’re not the attached-at-the-hip type. I just don’t believe that one person can be everything you need. I have always made it a point to schedule nights out with friends and to let my besties know their friendships are as important to me as my relationship. I don’t mind when he goes out to network with the theatre crowd on his own, because frankly sometimes I’d much rather be home with a good book. When he’s at rehearsals, I embrace the time to write.
That said, 12 days is a longish time–the longest we’ve been apart since we got married. I was a little worried that I’d be freaked out, alone in this new house, and all my protestations of independence would be for naught.
But it has been…okay. I miss him, certainly. I don’t love that Sundance gets crap cell reception and I can’t call or text. But it’s a good reminder that being alone doesn’t mean being lonesome.
So what have I been doing? Settling in to the new house, for starters. Baking. I made spice cookies on Saturday night just for me, just for the hell of it. I took naps whenever I felt like it. I opted out of a party because of an allergic reaction to something-or-other and radically revised the opening of my book. I had brunch and a long lovely talk with a friend yesterday. I caught a friend’s one-woman CapFringe show by myself. I learned the bus system of our new neighborhood. I’ve spent a lot of time daydreaming and watching the cat be adorable. I had the Best Salad Ever (romaine, black beans, itsy tomatoes, peppers, corn, goat cheese, chipotle dressing) at Chopp’t. I went to B&N and bought Prophecy of the Sisters and The Year My Sister Got Lucky.
Who can be lonely, with so many awesome stories to keep a girl company?